A Passel of Memories

"Belgian Malinois dogs have never killed someone in thirty years, attacked only 7 times, and only injured 4 people. Oh yeh, and the house I am living in has a nuclear bomb shelter," Matt wrote to me.
Apparently, my son had been researching facts about the breed of dog he will be caring for while living in the law firm partner's mansion for the summer.
"Good!" I replied, "If Iran develops the bomb, you are in a safe place."
Surely someone who would build a nuclear bomb shelter in his home has also trained his dog not to kill the caretaker, hasn't he? I felt a little better about the whole gig.

With that cheery assurance in mind, I went on a late afternoon bike ride. Low tide was at 3:30 and low tide is the very best time to ride bicycles on the Hilton Head beach. You can ride nearly all the way around the island, should you so choose. I struck out in the less populated direction and soon was one of very few people on the beach. People were soon packing up their beach carts and heading in for showers and dinner. I was in peaceful, quiet surroundings, save for the roar of the surf, the wail of a strong headwind, and the screeching of the gulls. Nirvana to my soul. I know there will come a day when I will no longer be able to ride my bike on the beach. One day, my knees just won't be able to tolerate the loss of lubrication in the joints and I will have to content myself with memories. While I can, I am storing up a passel of wonderful memories.

My older two children, adults now, are not with us for this summer vacation. They have jobs, obligations, friends, and lives that are new and separate from us. I hope I have stored up enough memories for them that one day, they will want to return with us to the beaches that we used to bike on together. As I rode on the sand that seemed to stretch out to eternity, I thought about all the times I had settled with my children on the couch, and taught them what I knew of God. I prayed those memories too would survive, and be stored up for a day of need; a whole passel of wonderful memories.

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 (NIV)
But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. [7] Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. [8] For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. [9] How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? [10] Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. [11] Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. [12] May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. [13] May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.




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