Precious Memories...how they linger

"There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season." Ecclesiastes 3:1 Life is always changing, isn't it? The season changes, the calendar flips to another month, and we wonder-where did all the time go? That time is still there, it has just been changed into memories. Now, some of those memories will be remembered fondly and some will be remembered with sadness. The time in our lives does go by so quickly. My grandmother is 85 years old and she has seen her parents die, her husband die and recently, her best friend die. Is this the reward for living that long, to sit by and watch everyone you love die? I know that death is never easy, but there is a very important thing I have learned from watching my grandma mourn her losses. That one thing is to cherish the memories that you have of someone. God gives us the choice to see these memories as a blessing or a burden. Some people do not want to remember someone that has passed on, because it is too sad for them. I think that this not only cheats the people left out of a connection with the person who is gone, but it also does not give the life that was led here on earth any value. A legacy can only be carried on if the people that are left continue to share it with others. We can look at the time we have left as a countdown to death or we can look at it as glorious opportunities to make fond memories for those that will be left behind. Jesus did this with his disciples. He taught them so much in a short amount of time, but he also made memories with them that they would not soon forget.
We live here on this earth, but it is not our true home. We are "renting" from the world, but we all have the opportunity to be "heavenly home owners" for eternity. Sometimes this world causes us to grow weary. It has pain, destruction, dissappointment and disease, but there is a place that will be so wonderful that there are no words to describe it. In Galatians 6:9 it says, "We must not become tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time if we do not give up." Dealing with the pain of losing someone is never easy. Saying goodbye to a loved one is very painful, but know this-If that person was a believer and a follower of Christ, then he or she is in their eternal home. God is the great comforter. He knows about loss and pain. Turn to Him in your sorrow, but don't turn away. There are still people left to continue making memories with. The memories you make will determine what kind of a legacy you leave behind. Cherish the people in your life, because there is a time for everything and now is the time to live life to its fullest!
Blessings-Nicole