As I was growing up I thought of memorials as statues or stones in public places that only old people paid attention to. We recently celebrated Memorial Day, renamed from Decoration Day in the last 1/2 century, but often viewed as another three day recreational weekend today. I'm reminded of my trip to Washington DC in late August of 2001, where casually observing the Washington Memorial and Lincoln Memorial had a different meaning only a few weeks later on 9-11-01. Those well known historical markers were placed to remind me (and you) of events that have had an effect on our lives. We visited the VietNam memorial and found the name of my sister's fiance who was killed in 1965, obviously having a huge effect on her life. It seems to me that the pace of our society will cause us to forget about major events of the past if we don't have memorials.Landmarks, gravestones, statues, and historical markers are important, but I'm suggesting each of us needs to go beyond those gestures, and create virtual memorials, private memorials, and other items of remembrance. It is too easy to forget lessons, ordinances, anniversaries, and decisions with a continually growing expectation to accomplish more in all aspects of life. In the October 2006 edition of this blog I wrote about the important of reflection in our lives, but this month I'm focused on the things to remind us. Luke 22:19 records the Lord's Supper where Jesus said "Do this in remembrance of Me". It wasn't that he thought they would forget him, it was to cause them to recall later what he was getting ready to go through. Although we can't plan memorials for things before they happen like Jesus did, we can memorialize parts of our lives.
Wedding rings memorialize a wedding day, birthday parties cause us to think about the original day of birth or the years since, and diplomas communicate the completion of a course of study. Virtual memorials like the following online video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ervaMPt4Ha0 is a modern way to memorialize what supporting the troops really means. My 19 year old daughter had a new perspective of the war in Iraq when she spotted a MySpace memorial on a friends site for a boy she knew in Junior High. Nuclear energy is back in vogue while memorials of 3 Mile Island and Chernobyl have faded from the public's memory. Less than 6 years after 9-11, a surprisingly high percentage of Americans want to hope radical Muslim extremists will leave us alone if we are just nicer to them. Memorials are needed to remind us because we seem to forget so fast.
We read or hear about celebrities that come out of a rehab experience and within months have a public incident showing they were not rehabilitated. Criminals who complete their time of incarceration don't memorialize the memories of punishment and soon commit another crime. You may have had impactful events or crossroads, either positive or negative, that changed the direction and desires of your life. Memorialize them, so that the raw experience won't fade in significance over time. Personalized license plates on your car, screen savers on your computer (it used to be mouse pads but technology continues to change), T-shirts, photos in your house or office, or even posters above your bathroom mirror are all ways to reinforce memorials that are crucial to your future.
Due to the faster and faster pace of life mentioned earlier, the amount of knowledge expected of each us grows at a dizzying speed. Your present lifestyle will be overwhelmed without a plan to balance your life. I suggested a plan in this blog back in February of 2006, but the implementation of that plan will be enhanced by memorials strategically placed by you. Your time, which we all have the same amount of each day, will soon become your living memorial to others. As a parent, your children link quantity of time with love. It's also true for all other relationships, just not as evident. The old saying that nobody on their deathbed bemoaned that they didn't get to spend enough hours at the office is a true one. Matthew 22: 37-39 says "He said to him, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." For many attending a church service is a living memorial of the greatest commandment. What events in your life apply to these commandments? Events are really you giving of your time. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." When your life is over, what will be inscribed on your gravestone (or maybe by that time a continually running video of your life)?
The plan of action I'm asking you to take from this month's blog is this: 1) Recognize the need for all memorials and list the ones that apply to your life. 2) Take your list and integrate it within your lifestyle so you'll be continually reminded of what has become prioritized remembrances. 3) Write in the comment section below those that you're willing to share with those who read this, then write in a private memo to yourself those that are too sensitive to make public.
