The Gift of Memories
"I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago." – Psalm 77:5
It was one of those gorgeous summer nights. Lake St. Clair spread out like a rumpled satin sheet gleaming in the moonlight under diamond chips of stars set in a black velvet sky. It was around midnight, and my husband Kelly couldn't sleep. I suggested we walk down to our patio which fronts the lake and sit awhile taking in the peace and splendor of the evening, watching the lights from the freighters and other boats as they crisscrossed the water. We were about ten years into our marriage at this point and Kelly's health was steadily deteriorating. He began to avoid socializing and seemed to find comfort in sometimes sitting by the lake with me when no one else was around.
We had a wonderful time. We talked about everything – how we met, our first "real" date (on Valentine's Day and one day before I formally joined GPUMC). Our crazy, last minute, thrown together wedding; the reception we had the following summer in the mountains of Pennsylvania. A family cruise we had taken. We talked about friends and family members that had passed away and the fun times we had experienced with those who were living. We talked about sailing and fishing – favorite pastimes for both of us. We relived the happy times we had shared – volunteering at the Great Lakes Maritime Center, weekend trips, buying our first home, then our second. All the crazy pranks he pulled on me; Kelly was quite the comedian and I was quite the easy mark for all his gags.
Suddenly I looked up at the sky and was a bit alarmed. It looked weird – and the color was rapidly changing to a slate gray – I thought maybe a major storm was brewing. Then the truth hit me – we had stayed up and talked all night! It hadn't occurred to us to look at a watch and concern ourselves with the time. The gray faded and dawn began to break – and it was a breathtaking dawn – with whorls of deep coral streaking across a robin's egg blue sky.
I was to recall that night many times during those first long years that stretched out before me after Kelly's death four years later. What a wonderful blessing that after ten years of marriage, we were still so in love and had so much to share that we stayed up all night reminiscing against the backdrop of that beautiful night and blissful dawn! I believe it was yet another of God's many mercies that I was gifted with such a lovely memory to comfort me during the difficult time to come!
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to see that Your blessings are not just gifts received at specific points in time, but are continuous through memory of them and the comfort and faith in Your goodness they inspire. Amen.
Joyce Reynolds
Prayer Focus: Those who have recently lost a spouse.
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