Memoirs are big business these days, and not just for celebrities. Anyone can self-publish a life story, a valuable gift for generations to come. “Getting it in writing” is a wonderful way to preserve the family history told in stories by grandma and grandpa.

My sister, brother and I made an effort to record our folks’ remembrances before video cams were available, using a cassette recorder and still photography. None of us anticipated what a treat it would be to hear their voices after they’d died, and of course the stories they told of the Great Depression, of family deaths, of their courting months were priceless.

Video memoirs are also popular, adding the face and voice to a loved one’s explanation of what’s most important to him or her. The wisdom of age is precious, and preserving it in print or on video is worth the effort.

There’s another way a person can communicate their life story: a charm bracelet. Originally soldiers wore charms for good luck during war or as identification in case they died on the battlefield. At the time of the Roman Empire, underground church members would wear tiny fish charms attached to their clothing to identify themselves to other Christians.

It wasn’t until British royalty began wearing charm bracelets in the early 1900’s that they became trendy, and ever since then the fashion world has fallen in and out of love with charms. When I was 16, my first boyfriend started a bracelet for me, and I was thrilled. Over two year’s time, he added nine silver charms, each one proving how well he knew my life story. When people were inquisitive about the bracelet, I got a chance to speak-out my memoir.

I have a second charm bracelet put together on a family trip to Europe in the 1960’s, one charm for each country we visited. My sister has a gold charm bracelet given on her wedding day when her groom presented her with a charm representing their marriage.

All of us want to mark the milestone events of our lives in a special way. It’s healthy and helpful. Memoirs, recordings and bracelets can accomplish this. Scripture demonstrates the same principle when God told his people to pile up stones of remembrance or make altars of worship as monuments of watershed moments with him, “lest you forget.”

He reminded them often of his personal touch on their lives and wanted them to know beyond doubt he’d always be there for them. Sadly, they had a dismal track record of remembering. A few charm bracelets might have helped.

And right there is the loftiest purpose of a memoir, to serve as a reminder of God’s consistency in touching our lives. During the daily grind when nothing special is happening, it’s easy to forget his former activity in our lives. We wonder if he’ll ever do amazing things for us again or if he’s forgotten about us.

Knowing who he is, this kind of thinking is shameful. Instead we ought to read our own memoirs and be lifted back to a place of belief and full expectation.

 “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” (Psalm 77:11-12)

The first half of this letter, written by Nate to his firstborn son in 1996, was detailed two days ago. He poured out a description of his painful life journey, honestly admitting to an infatuation with money. When he succeeded at making it, he wanted more. When he lost it all, he grew bitter and angry:

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I was unhappy and bitter. Everything I had, the world easily reached – destroyed – burned like straw. 

In the depths of my financial disaster, no financial rescue or restoration occurred. I was tormented. A family and household needed to be supported. Old habits of spending died slowly and painfully. I thought the tax change unjust, to impact real estate and not municipal bonds, insurance or other endeavors. Men I knew in those lines of work would have fared no better than I did if they’d been attacked. Why should they keep their money and I lose? 

And now, years later, the senator who was the architect of tax reform admitted in the press he was wrong, that tax reform went too far. They gave benefits, then took them away retroactively. The world is deceitful and evil. 

But the world cannot be our standard, our reliance. Hebrews 12:2: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

In my travail, I came to a rededication to Christ – reading Scripture, praying, participating in an organized Bible study, focusing my thoughts and energies on “the race marked out for me.”  

What does Jesus want me to devote my energies to? Hating those who wronged me? Or seeking His guidance and working for Him and my family? As Christian men, we know the answer. In our “struggle against sin,” we take encouragement that the Lord disciplines those He loves. 

Now, when I practice law, I think of the heavenly reason why I do it. That is my “race”. Not my choice, but my “race”. There are missteps and down days, but the purpose is sure.  

Paul struggled with sin as all Christian men do. (Romans 7:7-25). Christ rescues us from sin. Service to others is paramount (1 Corinthians 16:15-18). We live as children of light (Ephesians 4:17-32) 

I share the details of my life with you so you can see the human difficulty of trying to live a Christ-centered life – we cannot do it alone. We must rely on Him every day. If we don’t, we all stray. We read His word and pray, or we lose to the world. 

Love,

Papa

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Nate’s struggle is evident in his words. Thankfully, he recognized the removal of his “fortunes” as God’s discipline after he’d become too enamored with money. He also realized the Lord was disciplining him out of love.

I well remember the angst of those days of business failure and despair. Reading Nate’s letter, especially as he reveals his change of heart, brings encouragement to me today. It’s heartening to realize that through all the upheaval, Nate felt loved by God.

Maybe his words will lift another who is currently in the battle, wondering where the Lord’s rescue might be. Although God did rescue Nate (on this earth), it had nothing to do with restoring the money he’d lost but everything to do with changing his heart.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.” (Psalm 91:14)