"Remember Me"

I recently had coffee with a dear friend. I have the utmost respect for this friend. She has the gift of discernment and great at communicating her thoughts and feelings - despite English being her second language. It is quite a gift. Anyway. She shared a few thoughts she had with me and that coupled with the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 has gotten me thinking about remembering things.

My dear friend married later in life, and her husband died tragically in a car accident within a year of their marriage. Two years after his death, she was explaining that she still doesn't feel liker herself. She does believe that her husband's death doesn't define who she is, but his accident has changed who she is. Changed her in such a way that she doesn't want to forget the accident. But she has seen God carry her through it that she can't, and doesn't, live in that moment anymore. So it's like she is stuck in the middle... How do you live when life has effected you in a tragic way? Moving on with your life, yet celebrating her husbands life and their marriage? 

There has been so much publicity lately about 9/11 anniversary. Last weekend Dateline had a 3 hour special. Parts of it I couldn't stomach to listen to and watch, frantically trying to occupy my mind with emails and football. I felt like I was reliving that awful day. Other parts of the program brought tears of miraculous and heroic stories in which I couldn't stop watching. This is an event that to say, "changed the lives of Americans" doesn't give justice. It is so important to the families and friends that lost loved ones, that we remember their lives and what happened. However, we can't live in that state. We must move on... but we can't forget. 

So here I have been this week, praying about how I remember the hurt of people, yet celebrate change, life, God's mercy and grace all at the same time?...

The other night on the Dateline program, someone being interviewed made the comment "remember me." And I immediately thought of Christ. He said "remember me" to his disciples. Remember that I broke my body for you. Remember that I bled for you. Don't forget this death that I paid for you.... is because I LOVE you. Remembering that death is not the end. Remembering me, brings you life. 

I don't fully understand how to live in this in between stage... but I do know that God has called me to remember. To celebrate and remember life. And to remember His grace. His goodness. His provision. His faithfulness. His Love. And so that's what I am going to make sure I do, remember Christ.