I Will Remember This

By Michelle Williams –

When I was a child, about ten-years-old, I was having breakfast with my sister, Cheri. I don’t know why, but while watching her eat, I decided to remember the moment. I told myself, I will remember this forever. I took in all the details, as if I was taking a snapshot of it in my mind. Even at ten, I knew that being able to tell myself to remember a moment by taking a mental snapshot was something special and to be treasured.

Through the years I have continued to create these photos in my mind by stopping for a second and just remembering—to remember. Most of the memories have been simple ones, such as, stopping in the midst of a hectic day and taking in the details of my surroundings, or glancing at Joe or one of my children or grandchildren and telling myself to remember the moment and the love. When I became a Christian I added thanking God for His creation.

Recently, however, I took a mental snapshot of a conversation which was a humble reminder that I may not always have this special gift. My sister and Joe and I have dinner and play cards with my 83-year-old mother once a week. We all do our best not to tell her when she makes an obvious mistake. But, lately, even she has mentioned that her memory isn’t what it used to be. “I can’t even remember what happened 5-minutes ago, let alone 5 years ago!” she said to me when I was trying to remind her of something we had all done together.

As I took a mental snapshot of the conversation with my mom, I hid my horror at the real possibility of not being able to pull up all my special snapshots one day. Later, however, God reminded me of a more special gift than being able to take mental photos. It is the gift of writing. He left us His Word to read, and to pass on. And, He gifted me with the desire to record memories, ideas, stories and teachings to be shared with others.

I will continue to take memory photos for as long as the Lord allows, and one of the snapshots that I hope will be the last to go is one that I took when my now 30-year-old son was six. Feeling sentimental and a little teary-eyed, I looked at his little boy body knowing he would be a man one day. I said, “Mick, this moment right now is very special to me. I will remember it forever.” He looked up and quipped, “Mom, you don’t even remember where you park your car—you aren’t going to remember this!”

While I admit that I still lose my car from time to time, I’m grateful for God’s gift of memories in real snapshots, journals, childhood diaries, and mental snapshots. Most of all, however, I’m grateful for His written Word in my heart, and the ability to share it with others through writing.

Originally post on: http://mypurposenow.org/?p=5585