Distant Memories

​As mentioned in a previous post, I recently returned from the trip-of-a-lifetime to Alaska. My husband is a serious amateur photographer, so he took more than two thousand pictures while we were there. I snapped a “mere” two hundred and fifty. Since getting back, I often flip through the photos, reminiscing about those precious ten days. I frequently look at pictures from other trips my husband and I have taken during the years of our marriage, enjoying the memories evoked by the images.

But not all memories are special. I have recollections from my life that are filled with hurt, regret, or shame; events I’d like to forget, but that surface unbidden and cause me fresh grief.

Even Jesus’ disciples had moments from their pasts best left buried. These giants of the faith who are held in high esteem by Christians worldwide, had incidents they probably preferred to remain hidden: Peter’s denial of his Lord, John’s running away during Jesus’ arrest, John Mark’s desertion of Paul, Matthew’s less than honest dealings while he was a tax collector, or Paul’s killing of Christians prior to his conversion.

But God (one of my favorite phrases in the Bible) used these men despite their shortcomings. He forgave them for their failures, their sins, and used these people for His glory. Just as important, He also forgot their sins. Fortunately for us, God is able to erase our sins from His mind, as if they never happened. I wish my memory could be wiped clean, don’t you?

Are you struggling with distant memories? Memories that haunt you or badger you? Ask God to remove those thoughts from your head. Remember His forgiving grace that eliminates your failures from his mind.

Dear Father God, thank you for your love and forgiveness. Thank you for salvation from our sins. Comfort us when distant memories are dredged up, and we feel hurt, humiliation or distress. Thank you for forgetting the times we let you down.

“…for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34 NASB)

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Linda Shenton Matchett

With a BA in Psychology and Masters in Human Resource Management, Linda Matchett has had a wide and varied career as a crisis counselor, HR generalist, B&B owner and youth center director. She is currently the Front of House, Snackbar & Catering Manager at Brewster Academy. A journalist and blogger, she has written for numerous online and print publications. An author of Christian contemporary and historical fiction, Linda is also a a motivational speaker. Available topics include Life on the (WWII) Home Front, Wartime Baking, Women in the (WWII) Workforce, The Writer’s Life, God in the Workplace, The Proverbs 31 Gal: The Woman We Love to Hate, and Ruth: Lessons from a Foreigner. Linda is a member of First Baptist Church Wolfeboro where she sings in the choir and serves as Church Treasurer and a member of the Fellowship Team.