In August 2006, my parents celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. I shot a bunch of interview video and am today finally finishing some editing.
Interesting juxtaposition: January 1, editing video from September 3 of people telling stories from the previous 70 years. My parents built a great legacy of affection and respect with their family. Nieces and nephews telling stories of times before me. Niece and nephew-in-laws meeting my parents at the wedding. Stories of cars and state fairs and pictures of babies and long-gone family members.
The psalmist tells parents to tell the stories of God’s work to their children and their children’s children. Paul, on the other hand wirtes, “forgetting what is behind me and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ jesus.”
So which is it? Remember the past or forget it? Tell the old stories or write new ones? Rest in God’s history or strain ahead?
Both, I’m guessing.
David said, remember what God did. Paul says, forget what I’ve done so far. Standing at an arbitrary line we use as a chance to start over (called the new year), I need to forget all the things that I’ve done that worry me, depress me, ‘guilt’ me and just press on. I need to remember all the things that God has done to teach me, support me, forgive me and not work so hard.
The freedom to work hard is pretty cool.
Happy New Year.
Back to the video.
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