Remembering to Re-Member

Here I am – back in Tulsa. Sis and I are working diligently on getting Mom’s Estate Sale ready, but not before many close friends and family members came and took a token of a special memory they had with Mom in the past. We’ve loved the “remembering” of such special and momentous times that are etched forever in our minds. Mom, at 95 years old, remembers so many of those special times and even helps us to remember.

Remembering AND re-membering. Like the “re-membering” definition above, Mom, Karen and I had been “re-membering” my dear husband (Mom’s boy and Karen’s big bro) and the ways he did certain things, his little quirks and his many abilities. We often recall how contented he was during his final year of adversity, and how he rarely complained. We recalled how very quiet he was -- quite the feat for a man who "fire-hosed" people when he was given the chance to give them an encouraging word. All such sweet re-membering that is so very important and brings us so much comfort. When someone shares how my sweetheart impacted and made a difference in their life, it blesses me so much. They tell me they will never be the same because he cared. They were re-membering that he played an important role in their life story.

My daughter brought a whole new perspective to the word, re-membering. She reminded me of a beautiful statue of Jesus that I had given to her and how, inadvertently, in a move, the statute was broken into many pieces. Very quickly, she embarked on the task to “re-member” Jesus. Carefully, piece by piece, she glued the statue back together again. In essence, she put Jesus’ members back together again. She remarked "And this is what Jesus wants us to be doing – to “re-member” His body (the Body of Christ) by striving to bring us all together.

Though we don’t stay in-the-past thinking “I wish I were back there again”, we do REMEMBER and RE-MEMBER those circumstances, and even trials, that were the fuel for kicking us upward and onward to turn tests into testimonies, messes into messages and trials into triumph. I think about dear friends and RE-MEMBER their encouragement and support that carried us through some of our worst times. And, now it's us helping others to RE-MEMBER their broken hearts and spirits by encouraging them and praying for them.

Most of all – RE-MEMBER the ONE who paid the ultimate price for you and me. RE-MEMBER how Jesus went about doing good. RE-MEMBER how He loved you and brought you out of a dismal life of despair to a place of joy and victory. RE-MEMBER to REMEMBER His Words at the Last Supper: Luke 22:19 “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in REMEMBRANCE of me."

1 Chronicles 16:12 “REMEMBER His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth.”

Jesus reminded His disciples to REMEMBER: Matthew 16:9-10 "Do you not yet understand or REMEMBER the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up?”