The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Remember When? ” for Monday, 19 January 2015 - Scripture: Psalm 107:1-9

The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Remember When?
” for Monday, 19 January 2015 - Scripture: Psalm 107: The Lord Is Good to His People
1 Shout praises to the Lord!
    He is good to us,
    and his love never fails.
2 Everyone the Lord has rescued
from trouble
    should praise him,
3 everyone he has brought
from the east and the west,
    the north and the south.[a]
4 Some of you were lost
in the scorching desert,
    far from a town.
5 You were hungry and thirsty
    and about to give up.
6 You were in serious trouble,
    but you prayed to the Lord,
    and he rescued you.
7 Right away he brought you
    to a town.
8 You should praise the Lord
    for his love
    and for the wonderful things
    he does for all of us.
9 To everyone who is thirsty,
    he gives something to drink;
to everyone who is hungry,
    he gives good things to eat.[Footnotes:
107.3 south: The Hebrew text has “sea,” probably referring to the Mediterranean Sea.]
Take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life.[Deuteronomy 4:9 (NRSV)]
“Remember when . . ?” That’s the question we asked our niece at her 21st birthday party as we launched into a list of 21 things we remembered most about her life: her first attempt to bake a cake, her first date, moving away for college, among other events. At the end of our list, family and friends laughed at the funny memories. “I can’t believe you guys remembered all that stuff!” she said as she hugged and thanked us.
I realize that lists are tools we use to document important facts or events. To-do lists remind us of things we need to accomplish; grocery lists keep us on track when we shop; keeping a list of upcoming bills helps us stay within our budget.
Lists can help strengthen our faith. Writing down the many ways that God has touched our lives, looking back over prayer lists and journal entries of answered prayers, and recording Bible verses that we’re meditating on can enrich our spiritual lives. These activities can help us “remember when” God’s presence was especially meaningful for us.
Read more from the author, here.
"Becoming Family"
“Reverently honor an older woman as you would your mother, and the younger women as sisters” (1 Tim. 5:2, MSG).
She amazed me when I met her, and for the past 30 years, my admiration of my niece has continued to grow.
I met Dimitria during my first trip to Los Angeles to meet Norman’s family. When we picked her up from school, she wanted us to stop for hamburgers. Although Norman said no, she begged all the way from school to my mother-in-law’s house.
When we walked into the house, I whispered, “Let me talk to him. What do you want?”
“Oh, that’s OK. I’ll just make a grilled cheese.” She said. She shrugged her shoulders and went to greet her grandmother.
I was totally captivated by her! She seemed a lot more mature than the 10-year-olds I knew.
“She cooks?” I asked Norman.
“All the time.” He looked surprised by the question.
“Wow!”
A year later, Norman and I were married, and I moved to California. I spent time with Dimitria every day.  Whether it was picking her up from school, going to the beach or to an amusement park, doing chores around the house, or just watching TV, she became my sidekick. Because Dimitria was born in the same year as one of my brothers, it has always been easy to think of her as my little sister instead of my niece. 
I often did her hair and nails and let her play in my makeup. It was easy for us to talk about everything – from the latest music and clothes to boys and growing up. She relied on my candor. I welcomed her company.
Dimitria was fifteen when our daughter was born and was excited to have a baby cousin. Dimitria was a lifesaver! She continued to stay with us as often as possible. She loved to babysit and help me out, no matter what I needed her to do.
Looking back, I’m thankful that our lives have paralleled in many ways.  Dimitria was also 25 when she had her daughter. I was blessed to attend some of her prenatal appointments and honored when she chose me as her birthing coach. When she came home from the hospital, I was able to care for her and my great-niece, Camryn.
Our daughters are 10 years apart, just like we are. When Camryn comes to stay with us, I see the same relationship between her and my daughter, Veronica, that Dimitria and I had. Veronica does Camryn’s nails, and they talk about everything. They’ve started their own tradition of going to Starbucks whenever Camryn comes to visit.
Dimitria has been a vital part of my life for a long time. Even though she has moved an hour away, our bond remains just as strong. Whenever we talk or see each other, we pick up right where we left off.  Our visits always contain a lot of laughter. This year, she celebrates her 40th birthday. I can only begin to imagine how many things I can put on this new “remember when” list.
I hope that when she looks back and remembers the times she has spent with me, she will remember me as someone who loved her unconditionally, supported her dreams and goals, and tried to live a life that was pleasing to Christ.
More than anything, I hope she will remember me as someone who will always be proud of the woman she is today.[Dorothea Love]

You can connect with me on Facebook or Wordpress: www.dorothealove.wordpress.com.
The Author: Dorothea M. Love (California, USA)
Thought for the Day: Remembering God’s past faithfulness helps us trust God with the future.
Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for your steadfast presence. Help us to tell others about your marvelous works. Amen.
Prayer focus: Families
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