“My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love” I John 4:7-8 (The Message).
Last time we were together we talked about how Mary pondered all these things in her heart. What a great example for me to follow. I didn’t need tangible proof to remember how much my husband loves me, special friendships which had started out from complete strangers, or the blessings God provided at exactly the time they were needed. When I shifted my focus, I started asking God to provide the right people to buy the items so they also would make great memories with things I hoped would also become special to them.
I was glad to see my sadness wasn’t born from a reluctance to share with others. Instead, it was just a reminder of how truly blessed I am because of the love of family, terrific friendships, and a chance to serve my God who delights in paying attention to the details.
I learned an important truth that day. Memories are meant to be savored while things are meant to be shared. It’s exciting to think about what new memories will be made by others while being reassured that my precious memories will stay safely tucked in my heart instead of stowed away in someone’s trunk next to their newly acquired treasure. Besides, my heart has a lot more room than our sunroom or the shed for storage.
© 2013 Cheri Swalwell