Life's Mementoes

Honor and enjoy your Creator while you're still young,
Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes,
Before your vision dims and the world blurs
And the winter years keep you close to the fire.
Ecclesiastes 12:1-2 (The Message)

Solomon, the Teacher, is the author of the book of Ecclesiastes. Have you read it lately? Many of his comments remind me of the sad state of our culture and world today. He was a prophet in his time and ours. He closes out this book with today's passage. After spending the past weekend going through 40 years of the stuff of life at my parent's home, I know that the years do take their toll. I learned the history of my parents in ways that I have never known as we opened drawers and cleaned off shelves. An autograph book from teen years, a wedding dress lovingly folded in a box, scrapbooks, and pictures spelled out new stories in my mother's life. We found an old box in the garage with Boy Scout memorabilia from my dad's early years, locked cabinets with Navy uniforms, tools, and more pictures. Our task did not give us much time to linger with our time sensitive goal to get the house ready to sell looming over us, but I did spend a few moments pondering those early years and the choices they made in life's journey. I wonder what kinds of things my girls will find when they have the task of cleaning out my cabinets? Will they be surprised like I was, or will they say, "Oh, I remember this"? My desire is to be transparent with the good things I have experienced but also, to share the not-so-good parts because those are the times when God met me and lead me carefully over the rough path. Hopefully, my mementoes, pictures, files, writings, and journals will reveal a life filled with promise, failure, success, adventures, family, friends, and hope; hope in the One who as my Creator gave me many days filled with His presence as I trusted Him.