Don’t You Dare Forget

The other day, I was searching for a picture and when I found it in my daughter’s baby book, I came across some things I’d forgotten about. I found where I’d typed up some comical things my then, nearing 4-yr old son had said about the arrival of his sister. I found a letter I’d written to both my children, telling each of them how precious they were to me, how each of them would always hold a special place in my heart. We make and record memories like this so that we can always remember. We celebrate children’s birthdays, milestones, and graduations because they are important and we want to remember those moments. But what happens after that?

As adults, we get so caught up in our day to day that we miss celebrating milestones or special occasions of our own. As new parents, we record first steps, first words and the loss of the first tooth because they are signs of growth. Do you remember the day you were saved or the all the times God delivered you out of an “Egypt?” Those are all signs of growth and maturity…signs that we are learning and gaining wisdom for the years ahead; yet, we don’t seem as concerned about recording them for remembrance on the days when we feel God has wandered from our lives.

In Deuteronomy 15, we see Moses reminding the Israelites that they were once slaves of Egypt. The Message bible says, “Don’t for a minute forget that you were once slaves in Egypt and God, your God, redeemed you from that slave world.” We must remember our milestones, not to live in the past, but to propel us into our future. At a graduation ceremony, there’s always a commencement speech and its purpose is to remind the students who they were when they first got to school and who they are now, people ready to conquer the world with courage and tenacity. When we can remember who we used to be, and realize who we’ve become, we can conquer and overcome anything we face in our tomorrows.