Category Archives: Remembering

Furry Friend… or Foe?

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Our nation has experienced record-breaking warmth this spring. Experts are confident wintery weather won’t return but that we’ll slide through a balmy spring right into a hot summer. Although I’d been keeping my winter clothes handy, today I gave up and swapped my cold weather wardrobe for the summer stuff.

One winter clothing item has always caused problems, though, even threatening to come between Nate and me years ago. I remember the Christmas he handed me a heavy gift box the size of a suitcase, nearly bouncing up and down in anticipation of me opening it.

He gathered the children to watch as I slowly untied the big red bow, and I just hoped my response to whatever was in the box would measure up to his expectation.

Inside was a full length black mink coat. I was completely taken by surprise, never having asked for a fur coat (or having wanted one). The best I could do was, “Wow! I sure never expected this!”

Nate’s thrill over giving me what he thought every girl always wanted was so strong, he missed my tepid response. Instead he pulled me out of the chair and helped me put it on, dancing me around the room to show the kids what a magnificent gift it was.

They took turns trying it on, bending under its weight, oooing and ahhhing approval. Lest I seem like an ingrate, my surprise at receiving the coat did translate into love and gratitude toward a thoughtful husband who chose his gift because he wanted to please me.

Falling in love with the coat, however, was another matter.

As the weeks went by, the mink became a thorn between us. When it was cold he’d say, “Aren’t you going to wear it?”

I’d say, “Oh sure. Ok.” But he sensed reluctance. My problem with the coat was four-fold. It wouldn’t move with me, it was too warm, too heavy, and worst of all, it made me look fat. It also bothered me that when we went to public places, Nate didn’t want to leave it on a coat rack, concerned for its safety. Instead we took it to our restaurant table or into the church pew. We also had to rent cold storage during the summer, a bill I resented paying.

Thirty years later I still have the coat, and it’s still beautiful, probably because it didn’t get much use. I regret not wearing it more, if for no other reason than to please Nate, and my unappreciative attitude was the perfect example of putting myself ahead of him, the man I loved. It was selfishness to the core. Now, every time I put the coat away for the summer, I feel guilty and wish I could have a re-do.

Sometimes I wonder how many re-do’s I’ll wish I could have when I eventually stand in front of Jesus. It’ll be hundreds. Probably thousands, if wasted and wrong thoughts count, which they will. Although I can’t change my fur coat history, I’m glad I still have time to work on everything else.

As for my mink, the proper thing to do is give it away. Either that, or when winter comes ‘round again, start wearing it.

“The sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Perfect Protection

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We’ve all heard the rumor that a thriving population of alligators lives in the New York sewer system. That became popular in the 1950’s when local dime stores like Woolworths and Ben Franklins sold baby alligators as pets.

Actually Nate bought one of them as a school boy, bringing it home for his mother’s approval. He guessed she wouldn’t let him keep it, and after several days she did march him and his reptile back to the store for a refund. Other ‘gator owners chose to slip them down gutter drains or into sewer pipes when they grew too big to keep, which is how the sewer rumors got started.

As Nate matured, he learned how dangerous alligators could be and realized why his mother hadn’t let him keep his ‘gator when he’d pleaded to do so. She was simply protecting him from harm.

Do we ever take time to look back on the protective parenting God has done for us? If we do, we’ll notice how often he saves us from dangerous situations by overriding our poor decisions with his better alternatives. I remember one dramatic example of this as a college freshman. My roommate and I, part of a choir tour, were given one free evening to roam in a big university town.

The two of us chose to wander around the massive campus and went into the student union, looking for fun. Tacked on the bulletin board was a 3×5 card: “Party tonight in [dorm name], room 245.”

That sounded good to us, two sheltered 18 year olds without a shred of street smarts. We asked other students the way to the dorm and quickly found ourselves locked in a room with a group of rowdy boys already well-fueled on alcohol. The “party” wasn’t what we’d envisioned, and it became obvious the two of us were going to be the meat on the menu.

It’s a long story, but the bottom line was that God provided a way out, and we bolted away unscathed. Though we’d been sure of ourselves going in, the Lord knew better and saved us from our own stupidity. Looking back, we can see the recklessness of that night and are thankful for God’s intervention.

But what about those times when he doesn’t save, when he doesn’t prevent the accident or doesn’t heal the cancer? In Nate’s case, he chose not to stop a disease from taking him. Can we look back and see God’s protection? Gradually we’re gaining that exact perspective and are understanding that he did protect Nate… from having to live with debilitating pain and a slow deterioration. He also protected the rest of us from having to share in that.

But what about those cases where we look back and still can’t see how God protected? Can we trust that he did?

We can, for one good reason: his Son asked him to do so. Jesus prayed,

“Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name.” (John 17:11)

And God has been doing it ever since.

Don’t forget.

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Yesterday Louisa and Birgitta were in reminiscing mode, harkening back to childhood and a certain Disney video they both remembered well. Since it had to do with Christmas, they decided to hunt for it in the basement, hoping to watch it.

They found it among the old VHS tapes: “A Walt Disney Christmas,” 6 classic cartoons from the 1930’s and 1940’s. I watched the girls as they watched the tape, enjoying their expressions and comments:

“Oh, I remember that skating couple when the ice cracked! Remember the poor children at the orphanage? And the stocking with the hole in it?”

As their favorite scenes appeared, they tried to recall how old they were when they’d memorized the details: the color of the ice, the lace on the pantaloons, the glow of a Christmas tree. All of it occurred for them more than half a lifetime ago.

Looking back at happy times is fun. It can also be instructive, and God wants us to make a practice of it. In the Old Testament he says, “Remember what the Lord did to Pharaoh and to Egypt. Remember how the Lord led you in the wilderness. Remember that the Lord redeemed you. Remember the days of old. Remember all the wonders he has done. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome. Remember the Lord’s great mercy and love.”

On and on his training-in-remembering goes as he coaxes us to look back. If he did great things for us “then,” he can do the great things “now.” His desire is for us to focus on his past capabilities rather than our circumstantial difficulties. When things aren’t going well, we tend to quickly slip into despair rather than count on him to come through, and reminding us of past victories is his way of lifting our sagging spirits.

Even better than our look back, though, is his: he never needs remembrance-prompting because he never forgets. When he makes a promise, he follows through. What he says he’ll do, he always does, without exception. God has never been into making excuses. Scripture says he “remembers his covenant, remembers us and blesses us, remembers us in our low estate” and many more. On and on his mindfulness goes, mindfulness of us.

If we were as mindful of him, our lives would be far less stressful and less cluttered with worry. Trusting God would be easier, and our faith in him would grow by leaps and bounds.

“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” (Isaiah 46:9)