Well today one of my worst fears happened! I have always feared having a house fire and losing all my family pictures! Today my fears came to fruition ... no I did not have a house fire but I did hit the "delete button" while transferring pictures from SD card to computer! Gone! All gone in a moment! I had that sick, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, as I saw them disappearing from my view. I could have cried! (well I did a little)
I am a great grandma with a history of Brownie cameras, Polaroid, telephones that are stuck to a wall by a cord. Oh lest I bore you ... the truth is I don't know so much about computers and digital cameras, but I try!
Immediately I went looking in my recycle bin, roaring to every place I thought they might have gone. Then when all else had failed I sent a text to my 15 year old tech guru grandson saying "Is there any hope?" .. as I explained to him what I had done. His sad reply came back on the screen of my i-phone .. N-O-N-E! (sigh) I had really done it. No house fire .. even when our house had had a fire in 1990 our pictures had been spared!!! But today ... no such thing. They are gone . I did it ... now what? Like my friend Mary said to me on facebook this very day ... "pick up your big girl panties and deal, Faye!!!"
As I often do ... after ...I have tried all my own resources, I turned to the Lord and asked that He would teach me "yet again" one of His lessons on redemption from all of this. Bring beauty from ashes, Papa?
This is what He said ... "I have a delete button too!" "Speak Lord, I am listening." ...
"Faye Marie, all your sins have been wiped clean, .. past, present, future. I remember them no more." Though you remember them ... I do not! Stopped me in my tracks ..
The blood of my Son on Calvary's cross was for you ... and for anyone who will come to me and confess their need of a Savior .. His blood was shed .. for all ... it wipes the slate clean, I remember them no more!" Jesus Christ came and did for you what you could not do for yourself. He stood in your place to pay the penalty for your sins so you can stand in His place forgiven.
God my Father was letting me know yet again .. that though "I" often remember the bad things I have done ... I do NOT need to ... He is not remembering them! I am forgiven! I have a Savior whose shed blood "deleted" all my sin and it's penalty" ... I can not in any way add to that nor can I find a way to undo it. My sins are gone never more to be dredged up or used against me!!!
Now because of God's gift to me ... it is my privilege to take "more pictures, as it were" ... to fill my "memory card" up with that which is beautiful, lovely, pleasing and worth remembering. I can also give that gift to others. By forgiving them ... before they ask, by not holding an account of wrongs, and by thinking and speaking about them in such a way as to give them hope.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had a "delete feature" on the bad memories, angry thoughts and bad things we have done? Being human we seldom do that easily. But the bible teaches me that God gives us the desire and the power to do all things. I can do everything through Him. If I will always remember what He has done for me with His "delete button" I will grow in the likeness of the One who gave all for me. I can set the camera of my mind and heart to forget ..
"Set your mind on things above .. not on the things of earth, for you have died Faye and your life is hidden with Christ in God" ... Romans 6
I will miss the pictures I lost they were some pretty ones .. but the neat thing is I have this day to imprint more and better memories. I have this moment to remember.
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