The Gift of Memory

I remember the days of long ago….

Psalm 143:5

The scent of Pine stirred childhood memories of visiting my father’s “office,” a portable building beside the railroad tracks. Mondays through Fridays he loaded freshly cut Pine timber for shipping to a paper mill miles away. The scents and sounds of that busy spot returned as I watched a storm-damaged Pine tree transform into piles of sawdust and debris.

That same week, my brother and I had an opportunity to revisit the old barn from our childhood before its demolition. Standing in its shadows, I recalled the scent of the hay bales we climbed and the musty smell of mud and muck. The stream still flowed nearby where I had retrieved my first pet turtle. We laughed together about tales of tractors stuck in mud when spring rains flooded the pastures.

Happy memories of days-gone-by.

King David recalled some joyful memories, but he wrote of them with a touch of melancholy. He reminisced of the days he hid from his enemies. His current weariness prompted his reflections upon the days of long ago and the good things God’s hands had done.

David included a prayer that must have formed from deep within his soul. It seemed to be the last words of his heart before falling asleep.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in You.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I entrust my life.

Psalm 143:8

Father, when I, too, feel melancholy about the challenges and changes of life, bring my thoughts back to You. Remind me each day of Your unfailing love. Continue to show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life. Amen.

Linda Lesniewski