I remember ...

     In Deuteronomy this morning (Dt. 4:1,5-9) Moses  laid out the statutes and decrees of the Lord before the people, reminding them that these gifts will help them to not only live but to thrive in the land that the Lord was giving them.  He reminds them that in their observance of these statutes they will show their wisdom and intelligence, and be the envy of all other peoples, for the Lord has embraced them with his loving care.  He says

"However, take care and be earnestly on your guard

not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,

nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,

but teach them to your children and to your children's children."

     As I heard that this morning my mind was transported back to another time and another moment of nostalgia and remembering.    I have a lot of those moments as I grow older.  It brought to mind an old TV series that I remember as a kid - "I Remember Momma".  The 30 minute live TV program was brought to us weekly by Maxwell House Coffee.  It ran from 1949 through 1957 and by today's standards was primitive ... but as I recall, very wholesome entertainment.  The story involved the reminisces of Katrin Hansen of her family and her growing up.  She always began with the words:

"I remember the big white house on Steiner Street,

my little sister Dagmar, my big brother Nels, and Papa.

But most of all, I remember Momma"

    Then would come some remembrance.  Moses is telling us to always remember the blessings of our lives, to never forget those who have touched our existence, to tell the stories that reveal who we are, and to do so with pride.  But, great as all of the remembering is ... it is vital to remember the one who is at the center of our lives, the lifegiver who is our rock and anchor, the one that shares everything with us in great love.  For Katrin, it was her Momma.  For us, it is our Abba, our heavenly "Daddy", our stronghold, our Lord.  Remembering is a good thing!  It gives evidence that we are wise and truly intelligent.

I remember ...