21. Memory

I remember getting a glass bottle of Mountain Dew with Grandpa E when I was four years old. I remember the day I got my braces on (July 18...quite a traumatic day for this almost 13-year-old). I remember my dad telling me that my Grandpa H had passed away. I remember getting the Explorer stuck in the snow for the first time. I remember the excitement of moving to college melting into fear the moment I saw the orange water tower and realized what I was doing. I remember seeing Nate for the first time (while dating someone else ;-). I remember when he asked me to be his girlfriend. I remember when he asked me to be his wife and the day that promise became true commitment.

Memory absolutely fascinates me. Can you imagine meeting someone only to not remember him or her the next day? Or repeatedly attempting an ineffective solution because you couldn't remember that it didn't work last time? I'm so thankful that God allows our minds to store memories of people, experiences, and lessons learned. While we all have memories we wish we could forget, I'm thankful we're able to learn from remembering our former mistakes or the mistakes of others. I'm thankful for remembering the people I love and why I love them. And I'm thankful for remembering the word of the Lord and the ways He has always been faithful.

Related? Not at all. But this song has been in my head while I've been writing this post. :-)