CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST
January 20, 2008
25424 Aldine-Westfield, Spring, TX. 77373
www.geocities.com/adon77373/cypresswoodbulletin.htm
www.cypresswoodchurchofchrist.com
PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING;
Our congregation Various relatives, friends, and co-workers
Our nation, military, and leaders The persecuted church
SOUVENIRS NEXT STOP
"Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?' For it is not wise to ask such questions" (Ecclesiastes 7:10).
Many of us, when on trips, find souvenirs to remember where we have been. We might pick up tee shirts, spoons, cups, hats and/or any number of other things. We buy postcards and take pictures. We like to look back and remember where we have been. The word "souvenir" comes from the French and means "to remember."
There are other ways of remembering. Reunions bring old school buddies together to recall the "good old days" of high school, of events, of the fun times of youth. We remember friends. Churches have reunions or homecomings for the very same reason. There are alumni games for various sports. History is a study of the past to, in part, remember where we came from as a nation. We study genealogies to find out about our family past. Memorials are set up to remember those who gave service to our nation, and the ultimate sacrifice.
Scripture is a means to see and remember what God has done in history. In the Hebrew scriptures, Moses, David, and others repeat what God did in delivering the nation from its enemies. The Passover was one means of remembering what God did. The Lord's Supper is another. We are to teach these events to our children so as to pass them on to others.
Some memories are difficult. When we have lost a loved one, any number of things can cause us to remember. For some, this is difficult. A relationship has ceased and loneliness sets in. A funeral is, in part, to remember a life lived. We all think that death comes to soon.
Some memories are necessary less we forget. The Holocaust needs to remembered; to remind us of the depths of human depravity. A "souvenir" shop opened in Buchenwald, Germany. While somewhat controversially, the purpose of the shop, according to its owners, was to "remember" what had happened at this death camp so as not to repeat it.
A wedding ring is a reminder of a commitment made. A bill is a reminder of something bought. A alarm clock reminds us that we need to get up. We are filled with things that remind us; souvenirs.
The Teacher in Jerusalem warns us to be careful about dwelling on the "good old days." They were not necessarily all that good. We tend to block out the bad and remember the good.
We all fear Alzheimer's disease because it takes away memories. People forget both those in the present and those in the past. We find it a sad and horrible disease because it takes something precious from us.
We all tell stories from our past. We share similar experiences, some filled with humor. There are many things that remind us of the past. It could be a odor. It could be an ornament. I remember where I bought a box of four pinwheel stars when I was a teenager; in a Woolworth's store in Paterson, New Jersey.
But while we enjoy visiting the past, it is the future that should concern us. We look forward to that eternal fellowship in the New Eden with our God and Savior. What type of memories we will have in heaven I do not know. However, it will be such a joyous place that fellowship might put memories out of our mind.
So enjoy your memories. Look back on the pictures and souvenirs and remember where you have been. Recall the purpose of Jesus' coming in the Lord's Supper. And then look forward to the promises that God has given us for the future.
George B. Mearns