Year 8-Day 337: Today, I’m grateful for remembrance at Christmas.
"Remembrance like a candle, burns brightest at Christmas time."
Ornaments were a source of gratitude this week. The most special ones are not beloved because of their beauty. They may be beautiful, but it is the memories they evoke that fill our hearts with warmth as each season they return to the family tree.
Occasionally, one of those precious memories is broken. Dropped or simply too fragile for another year... they cannot be repaired. They, too, become a memory.
My Dad, as you can imagine, was not into decorating the Christmas tree. There was one exception... the special bird ornaments with feathered tails that he clipped on each year. He never spoke of the memories. I wonder, now, if perhaps they were a gift from his mother... Grandma Mabel. Dad had a sentimental side. Mama Ina Mae reminded us that "Daddy placed the birds on the tree." A few years ago, I saw some that reminded me of our childhood tree and purchased them. I think of Dad when I see them on our tree or mantel. I don't know why they were special, but I know they evoked a memory. None of use wanted to be responsible for breaking them.
When something is broken, it becomes a memory. Sweet, precious and protected in our hearts. We can choose to dwell on the sadness of the loss... or we can embrace and treasure the memory.
This scripture passage captures what Jesus told his disciples in the Upper Room at the Passover meal we know as "the last supper". He was about to become the Passover lamb that would die for the sins of the world. He was about to be broken for us. He said this:
"and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”-1 Corinthians 11:24
Do this in remembrance of me. The memory is a powerful thing. It keeps us connected to loved ones here but far away... and those no longer with us. The memories keep our loved ones close.
Today, I’m grateful for remembrance at Christmas.
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