By Doug Creamer
Anniversary
We all celebrate anniversaries of various types. The most common we think about is a wedding anniversary. We celebrate the anniversary of our annual trip around the sun, which we refer to as our birthday. We recently celebrated the 250th anniversary of our country on July 4th. Our country commemorates the anniversaries of D-Day and Pearl Harbor day.
The anniversary that I have been thinking about for the past week is the anniversary of my Dad’s passing, which was August the 4th of last year. It’s hard to believe that a year slipped by so quickly. I have been thinking about the events that led up to his passing and what I was doing.
There were a couple of occasions soon after his passing that I picked up my phone to call him. It is a strange feeling to realize that someone important in your life is no longer there. My Dad read my columns and in his younger years he was confrontational about the content. In his later years, I looked forward to his email responses because he offered more positive feedback and his questions led to more open-ended discussions.
I find it interesting how often I think about my Dad. Unpleasant memories have softened with time. I find myself savoring the good memories. One thing I have done numerous times is wonder what Dad was doing when he was my age. Then I would think about what age I was when he was my current age. I would try to remember what was going on in my life. It is strange how our minds work.
Some say time heals all wounds. When we lose loved ones I am learning that time doesn’t heal those wounds. Certainly, the day-to-day feelings can ease with time, but there are still unexpected moments when we remember and feel the loss. An odd one came this year around Father’s Day. I was walking through one store and they had a display in the middle of the aisle with Father’s Day gifts, which really didn’t bother me. But they had put some cards on the display and there was a perfect card sitting front and center. My Dad loved to golf and this card was one of the best golfing Father’s Day cards I have ever seen. The emotions that stirred caught me off guard.
So anniversaries come as reminders of both wonderful things that we celebrate and sometimes painful things that we don’t want to remember. One anniversary that we all seem to enjoy celebrating each year is the coming of our Lord…Christmas. Sometime in the next two months retailers will begin stocking things to celebrate Christmas. I’m not ready for that! We also remember the anniversary of our Lord’s crucifixion on Good Friday and celebrate His resurrection on Easter Sunday. Many churches celebrate and remember the arrival of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday.
We celebrate our birthdays, but do you remember your spiritual birthday? Our spiritual birthday is the day we accepted Jesus as our savior. I have fond memories of the day I accepted Jesus as my savior, but I do not know the date. It was summer and I was young. I remember the church and the circumstances and can see it all in my mind. It was a special day that I enjoy reflecting on from my past.
Our minds can work for us in both positive and negative ways. We can remember bad things that happened in our lives, moments we wish never happened. Those kinds of memories I wish would fade for all of us. We can also remember the good things, especially the spiritually good moments in our lives. Maybe we went to a conference, heard a special speaker, enjoyed some beautiful music, or had a special moment with the Lord. These are things we should reflect on, memories we should ponder and enjoy. Moments we grew or made changes in our lives are important to celebrate and remember.
I want to encourage you to spend a few moments reflecting back on your spiritual life. Remember your growth. Remember your victories. Remember making it through the hard times. Remember the revelations. Remember the verses that are special to you. Remember your rebirth and baptism. God wants you to celebrate these anniversaries…these moments when you overcame and found victories. Why? There are still challenges ahead for all of us and we need to remember how God came through for us in the past to see ourselves overcoming our current circumstances. Remember how He came through for you in the past, He will come through for you again…trust Him!
Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com
Here is a picture of my Dad…..
