It’s still a memory even if it is from a faded photo. So I took a few pics of the photos with my phone, these were the treasures of the day in my sorting and cleaning at the farmhouse. These late 1970s early 1980s photos were the first era of color photos, and color doesn’t last long from that era… it’s not just 70s style of browns and oranges, it’s that plus the yellow of fading. My childhood is fading, at least 50% of any documentation is in 35mm slides, so any real photos are appreciated, yellow or not.

These are not surprises – my family took MANY photos of me and my cousins, of my Grandma and Grandpa,  Aunts, Uncles, and parents. And we went EVERYWHERE – zoos and state fairs – farm markets and curiosity places. I know these photos show the people and the era of the times, yet these photos are of forgotten days – I don’t have specific memories of THESE events, maybe because I went to SO MANY – and honestly how can we remember even a fraction of our childhoods. I know that we celebrated MANY birthdays but these pics, even with me in them, are new to me, yet confirm what I already knew – my family was and is great and we had great childhoods.

One memory that popped back up was eating picnic lunches from the truck of the car – the sandwiches baloney or peanut butter and jelly, drinks, napkins, maybe chips – all in that styrofoam or red cooler – classic 50 years ago. We travelled inexpensively then – often starting early and sometimes brought pillows to rest. I remember fractions of these times but with these things vivid. So with delight I saw many travelling kids this past holiday weekend, even a similar scene last Sunday at a park with kids eating snacks, sitting in a hatchback. Plus the car next to me at the gas station had their hatchback open, a little boy enjoying a snack. These are the memories in the making. I smiled and he smiled back – the whole thing made me happy. Home is where the Joy is.

I can not understand how the Lord knows everything about us – when we don’t even remember a fraction. I know that the Lord IS God and we are not. I know that it is not faded in memories that He suffers when forgiving our sins – it is like a solid coat of His blood that washes us over – cleans us up – and restores us to pure. It is not faded memories but the KNOWLEDGE of whom we SHOULD be – CAN be – ARE – when viewed by the wholeness that He brings us.

I think that we are not judged by God for faded glory – but judged by God to restore us to WHOLE – to all colors of our beings by Jesus adding His restoration touch.

I also believe that He already knows what type of sandwich we like and He has that in that trunk of His in Heaven – the banquet table where we feast WITH Him – oh what an adventure THAT will be…

Amen

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From Psalm 139 of David:

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.