Memories can make or break us.
Everyone has a “past.” It
is how we deal with the memory
blocks of the past that will
determine how we face the
future. Every memory can be a
step, up or down. It is
important that the redeemed keep
in mind that as far as God is
concerned we have no past,
only a future. We do have a
memory though; and unless
something happens to the part of
the brain where events are
stored, we will recall them from
time to time. We just need
to “train” our brain to
recognize the memory triggers
and be disciplined to react
positively.
Memory is a wonderful thing, and
a loathsome thing. Our memories
are made up of past experiences,
both good and
bad. They are etched into our
minds, stored in our memory
banks, and new experiences bring
them to mind as they push
the buttons of past experiences and memories. The only
way we can completely loose
memories would be to have a
malfunction in the part of the
brain where they are stored.
We can deliberately push
memories into the dark corners
of our minds and, though we
can’t completely forget them,
chose not to meditate upon them. We can also refuse to deal
with issues that have been contrary to our happiness and well being. Then
these memories will be like
termites eating away
at our foundation, threatening the support of our building.
We can selectively recall the
ones that bring us pleasure.
Even pleasant memories can be
damaging to our building if they
are sinful or rebellious toward
God. The Bible says that there
is “pleasure in sin” but only
“for a season.” It is deceptive
and temporary. How can we handle
our memories so they are
reliable building blocks for our
present and future? How can
loathsome memories be useful in
the building?
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever
things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if
there be any virtue, and if
there
be any praise, think on these
things” (Philippians 4:8).
Paul lets us know that we have
the ability to chose what we
think (meditate) upon.
Unresolved issues that are
troublesome need to be pulled
out of the storage file and
dealt with so we
can change their location and put them to rest in a forgetful
file or a to-do list file. We
then submit these memories to
the Builder who will use the raw
materials, crushing and refining
them into usable “building
blocks” for the foundation of
our building (temple).
Our memories are “learning
blocks,” the very foundation
of our lives. We cannot separate
ourselves from our past; it
becomes the foundation for the
rest of our lives. Since these
learning blocks are part of who
we are, we can put them
to work for us. They became
building stones in our
foundation for good or bad. If
we have built our lives on
these stones using our own ingenuity, they will fail us and
make our building unsafe to live
in. We will be pulling one
out now and then to think on and
try to rearrange it to a
more suitable position,
disrupting the building’s
stability.
We might not even want to put it
back, instead we hug it
to our bosom, rehash the
experience, nurture it. If it is
a bad memory, it will be
detrimental to our mental health
affecting
our total building. If is a good memory, we may try to live
in it. We can’t live in the foundation of our house.
Our “learning blocks” can be a
great advantage to our present
life, if we will submit them to
the Master Architect who is the
Corner Stone and stone cutter of
our building.
“Know ye not that ye are the
temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
“Ye also, as lively [full of
life] stones, are built up a
spiritual house…Behold I lay in
Sion a chief corner stone
[Jesus],
elect, precious: and he that
believeth on him shall not
be confounded” (1 Peter 2:5-6).
First, we need to let the
Architect/Builder use His form
into
which our memories are poured to form the blocks. They
will be made precisely to fit together and will then be tied
to the Corner Stone by which all others are aligned. If we try
to use our own forms to put the raw memory material in,
they will be flawed and uneven
according to our emotions and
present frame of mind. Our
building will not be safe due to
the unreliable foundation.
Once the Architect/Builder has
formed the memory blocks for
our foundation, He will lay them in a perfect line, secured
with the cement of Love and the joints dressed with Grace
and Mercy. They will line up
with the Corner Stone forming a
sound and safe foundation for
our “building” (temple).
Only then is it a safe
foundation upon which to
construct our building. The
Architect is a Master Builder;
we can trust His expertise to
bring our building (temple) to
completion.
Though the construction will
never be completely finished
in this life, it will be perfectly suited for our occupation. In
his book Abundant Living E.
Stanley Jones said, “We are
only Christians in the making.”
The Master Builder will be
working on our “temple” as long
as we live here; but when
it is time to be part of His city, New Jerusalem, it will be
complete and beautiful, fitting
perfectly into the
City’s plans.
“If any man’s work abide which
he hath built thereupon, he
shall receive a reward” (1 Corinthians 3:14). All of our
work must be under the
supervision of our Foreman,
Jesus Christ.
We need to be spiritually
mindful of how we are building
our lives. We can’t take the
awesome responsibility upon
ourselves. We need to submit our
plans to the Designer, Architect
and Builder for approval,
discarding any plans that are
contrary
to overall plans of the Eternal
City where our building will be
located. We must keep in mind
that the King will live in the
City and will not allow any
buildings that have a foundation
not built by His Builder, lined
up to His Corner Stone. That
is an eternal building code and will always be enforced.
“And I John saw the holy city,
new Jerusalem, coming down
from God out of heaven, prepared
as a bride adorned for her
husband…He that overcometh shall
inherit all things…and
I saw no temple therein; for the
Lord God Almighty and the Lamb
are the temple of it”
(Revelation 21:2, 7, 22).
Don’t allow your memories to be
your downfall; use them for
the Glory of God in the temple prepared for His habitation. Don’t try to
construct your own building;
leave all the
materials that you have stored
in your memory bank at the
building site so the
“Professional” Builder can take
your
memory blocks and create
foundation stones. He will not
only build a safe and beautiful
structure upon the
foundation, it will fit
perfectly into His community
plan with the others He is constructing.
Have a building/temple that will
last throughout eternity.
Allow the Planner/Architect/Builder to arrange and use your memory
learning-blocks to construct a
habitation that not
only is beautiful and safe to live in but one in which He
will feel at home as well.
October 5, 2004
Delores Adams
Copyrighted. All rights
reserved.
Memory Stones Notebook
Alice's Legacy
Remembering Alice
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