On December 7, 1963, (55years ago) Carol and I stood before the altar of a small Baptist church in Baldwin, Missouri, and repeated our vows to each other from the book of Ruth.“Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people and thy God my God. Where thou diest, I will die and there will I be buried; the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” (The KJV was all we had back then.) Carol died just six weeks before our 51st wedding anniversary, so this was the fifth anniversary I have spent without her by my side. At first it was a sad, lonely occasion, but now, instead of mourning her loss, I celebrate all of those years she was there with me and all of the experiences we shared along the way. When those we love die, our love for them and the memories we created together do not die with them. I love the song Precious Memories. Every time my friends have a wedding anniversary, I congratulate them and then remind them to continue to cherish every precious moment together. It is so easy to take those moments for granted and think they will go on forever.
As Christians, we should continually thank God for His mercy and grace and for the relationship we have with Him through the life, death and resurrection of His Son. But it is also important that we thank Him for the people He has put in our life and for our relationship with them. We must never take our blessings, especially our relationships, for granted. Our continued appreciation will give them the value and priority they deserve.
Memories of a loved one are not a replacement of having them with us, but those memories are a blessing from God designed to help get us through until our great, joyous reunion with them.