The Memory Page

 This entry, from August 10, 20011 is about the memories we make in school.

There is a new link on my Facebook page called
"If you went to Friendship Christian School, you remember......"
It has blown up, getting hundreds of comments already, many of them nostalgic, some of them hilarious, and a couple that might have been better left untyped. Personally, I was present for some of the memories or had first hand knowledge of them. I've considered entering a few of my remembrances even though I am not an alumnus, just a former teacher/coach at FCS. Mine would center around the legendary John McNeal and an incident with Jade Sellars on the first day Jeremy Kelly was enrolled in our school and came to my class. The most touching comment I've read is about the funeral of one of our baseball players, Ricky Stem, who died right after we had made it to our first state baseball tournament. One of his teammates, Derrick Romines, put the game winning home run ball from the Sub State win into Ricky's casket. It was a touching and classy gesture which I missed because it was the same day one of my basketball players was almost killed in a car accident. Memorable events make memorable links in our memories. Some bring pain and some laughter but they contribute to our humanity, as flawed as it is at times.

We all have triggers to our past. On Sunday, I wore a blue striped tie Winston Phillips gave me and I recalled I wore that tie while eulogizing both my mom and dad. Every time I look closely at my left hand, I am reminded how my thumb was nearly severed by a pane of glass when I was in college. These past few days, I've seen students for the first time in almost three months and I remember they are maturing rapidly while the rest of us are simply getting older. I find it interesting that the Scriptures often speak of the Lord remembering His children in many different circumstances. But there remains one category where His memory is non-existent:
“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25)
I wish I could forget my sins as our Father does but that might make me more likely to repeat them. I recall my sins all too well and I beat myself up over them. Fortunately, our God does not. Who could bear it if He did? His blotter is bigger than my capacity to sin. I've given our Father a great deal of material to forget about in my life. And, it goes without saying that I'm ecstatic there are no Facebook links for my sins; some things are just better left forgotten.

Applicable quote of the day:
"Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them.”
 Bob Dylan

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com