Remembering Those Things That Are Past

On New Year’s Day, I gave a message that focused a lot on “Forgetting Those Things That Are Past.”  While it is true that past negative experiences need to be put behind us, there is another side.  Hence the message for today is titled:  “Remembering Those Things That Are Past.”

In the January 2012 issue of Guideposts Magazine, Edward Hoffman, a Psychologist from New York City,  wrote an article entitled Memories Can Be Restorative.  He wrote:  I admit, I’m a nostalgic guy. Whenever I need a break from my work, I go to YouTube and watch an old video like James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend.”  Both the song and the singer, with his long hair and mustache, transport me back to 1975, to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, where I studied for my Ph.D. in psychology. But I never imagined my YouTube habit as anything more than a pleasurable distraction. Recently, though, I’ve been doing research on “peak experiences,” surveying people about their most joyful, life-changing events. One man zeroed in on a park where he and his friends hung out as kids.  They recently revisited it together, walking around the lake and the ball fields, observing how things had changed and sharing stories about the past.  “It made me feel grateful for my friendships,” the man wrote. “Ever since the trip down memory lane, I’ve felt happier about my life.”  Could it be possible, I wondered, that simply recalling happy memories can be almost as powerful as having a positive new experience? Was my YouTube habit benefiting me more than I first thought?  Certainly, nostalgia hasn’t always been viewed as a good thing. For years, the psychological establishment believed it was simply a form of escapism.  But as I discovered, and a growing body of psychological research confirms, waxing nostalgic from time to time doesn’t trap us in the past—it is healthy for our body, mind and spirit in the present.

Video Clip:  James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend.”  (You Tube)

• God Instructed The Israelites To Build Memorials, Reminders:  As I was thinking about this article, I began to reflect on what the Bible says about remembering the past.  I realized that God was quite specific with the Israelites about making memorials to remind them of their past.  They built altars to commemorate special events in their walk with God. 

1. Jacob builds an altar at Bethel.  Genesis 28:12-19 (NKJV)  Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³ And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. ¹⁵ Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." ¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." ¹⁷ And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!" ¹⁸ Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it.
   ¹⁹ And he called the name of that place Bethel;…

2. 12 Stones At Jordan River:  They took 12 stones out of the Jordan River when they crossed into Canaan and made a memorial altar there. 

Joshua 4:1-7 NKJ And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: 2 "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 3 and command them, saying, 'Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.' " 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them: "Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?' 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever."

Over and over God reminded them of His mighty deliverance out of Egypt.  The Passover Feast and the other Feasts of Israel where partially designed to reconnect them with God as they remembered His mighty acts in their behalf.  As they were thankful and appreciative, God blessed them and helped them.

3. Testimonies, Statutes, And Judgments:  Deut 6:20-25 NKJ "When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord our God has commanded you?' 21 then you shall say to your son: 'We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; 22 and the Lord showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household. 23 Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers. 24 And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. 25 Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.'

• What Is God’s Purpose In These Reminders From The Past?

1. To Keep Us Grounded:
   The term nostalgia:  nostalgia sometimes includes a general interest in past eras and their personalities and events, especially the "good old days," such as a sudden image, or remembrance of something from one's childhood… The word is a Greek compound, consisting of "homecoming" and "pain, ache".[1]

In his 1979 book, Yearning for Yesterday, sociologist Fred Davis noted that his research found nostalgia allowed people to “maintain their identity in the face of major transitions like childhood to pubescence, adolescence to adulthood, single to married life, and spouse to parent.” In other words, it helped people stay true to themselves despite huge life changes.

Today, technological and social change happens at a rapid pace, work and travel take us farther from home than ever before, and new information bombards us constantly. It’s easy to feel lost.

A high-powered Manhattan executive may get caught up in the rat race, only to catch a scent of horses in Central Park and be reminded of her idyllic beginnings growing up on a Midwestern farm.

Wherever we find ourselves, nostalgia helps bring us back to our roots, back to the things that are most important.

Give it a try. When you feel confused, adrift, out of place, turn off the computer and the TV for an hour or two and read a favorite book from your high school days, or look through a scrapbook or wedding album. Most likely, you’ll feel restored and refocused.[2]

For the believer, our faith is our foundation in life.  Our relationship with our Father is our bedrock.  Jesus is the rock of our salvation.  When we are in a test or difficult trouble, we must remember all those stories, those testimonies of God’s faithfulness.  They keep us on an even keel when the waves of life are trying to blow us off course.

I remember so well when our bank was unwilling to give us a permanent mortgage on the condo we had built.  When they finally agreed to give us a permanent mortgage, we had to make up the payments the bank refused for several months, in a lump sum.  Then they would give us a mortgage at a much lower rate than we had been paying on the construction mortgage.  We went to the bank to tell them we didn’t have the money and while we were waiting to see the loan officer, friends called and told us the Lord had instructed them to pay our down payment of over $3000.  That day we knew there was a God in heaven who cared and had heard our prayers.  This and many other stories of His faithfulness give us confidence to trust Him now.  That memory keeps us grounded.

2. Remembering The Past Gives Us Perspective
   “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it,” said the philosopher George Santayana. [Memories of the past] provides a lens through which to view past mistakes and misfortunes.[3]

Proverbs 22:3 (NLT)  A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

Proverbs 22:3 (MSG) A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered.

Negative things from our past are not to be dwelt upon.  They can hold us back but the wise or prudent person learns from past mistakes and defeats and seeks the Lord for wisdom in how to not repeat it.  The devil sets up certain situations to cause us to fall into temptation, since we know this from past experiences, we don’t go that way.  If you are a delivered alcoholic, the place to witness is probably not the local bar where you used to hang out and drink.

3. Remembering The Past Can Help Us Succeed:
   Dr. Hoffman wrote:  I once treated a man for loneliness and depression. He was in his late forties, lived alone and aside from phone calls to his elderly mother, he led an almost totally isolated existence.

I encouraged him to go to a singles dance or join a book club, but his shyness and self-defeating attitude always stopped him. I was stymied.

Then one evening he arrived for our session with a bounce in his step. “I had an amazing dream last night,” he told me.

He dreamt that he was sitting on a beautiful beach under blue skies, and “Desperado,” the 1970s hit by the Eagles, was playing.

“You know,” he said, “when I woke up, I felt happier than I have in years.” The song reminded him of a college summer when he shared a beach house with friends. “Everyone accepted me for exactly who I was,” he said.

He laughed and joked about his adventures that summer, and it was hard to believe this was the same lonely, depressed man.

Our conversation continued the following week. Eventually, the happy memory motivated him to join a volunteer organization, where he made new friends. Thinking back on the past helped him find a key to his future.

In a 2008 study, an international team of researchers found that focusing on happy memories from their childhood enabled people to feel more connected with family and friends.

A 2006 study discovered that a group of people who spent just a few minutes writing about a past event were more cheerful afterward than a group who wrote about a typical day in the present.

Both studies show that people with high resilience—the ability to bounce back quickly from stress and setbacks—are especially adept at using nostalgia to put themselves in an upbeat frame of mind.

The last couple weeks, I have been working on a project for my doctoral studies entitled “Life Experience Portfolio”.  I have had to remember every job experience and what I learned from it.  I have had to uncover all the conferences, seminars, schools and training I have taken during my adult life and the things I learned from each one.   I have to list all the books I have read and how they impacted me.  It is has been a lengthy project so far but also very inspirational.  It is helpful to document where you have learned certain things and also what lessons you have learned.  As I have traveled down “memory lane” I have had many pleasant moments and it has inspired me toward future successes.

4. Remembering The Past Can Help Our Memory:  Studies and testimonies have shown that even with Alzheimer patients, things from the past can connect their memories with what has been lost.  It is amazing what we can rediscover with a little thought and some reminders to prod us.

Video Clip:  My Dad’s Car (You Tube)

5. Remembering The Past Can Help Connect Us Spiritually

The Hebrew Scriptures remind us to honor the past. Take Deuteronomy 8:10-19: “Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Otherwise, the passage warns, “you will surely be destroyed.”

Every year on the Jewish holiday of Passover, I sit down with my family for the Seder, the festive meal at which we follow the biblical commandment to tell the story of our people’s deliverance. [Exo 12:21-28]

It’s not only a way of glorifying God, it’s also a way of remembering that we must not take our freedom for granted. A plate at the center of our table holds six special foods, each of which represents a part of the story of Exodus and the Jewish people.

For instance, charoset—a spread of chopped nuts, apples and wine—symbolizes the mortar our ancestors used when they were forced to build Pharaoh’s cities. Horseradish—by its taste—recalls the bitterness of slavery. And a hardboiled egg reminds us of our people’s resilience, rebirth and renewal.

Why all of these rich, sensory symbols? Jewish tradition tells us that it’s not enough to simply recite the Passover story. Instead, we must relive it—through all of our senses—as though we had experienced enslavement and liberation for ourselves. Those ancient memories must become our very own for us to truly appreciate all of God’s miracles.

I think that our biblical ancestors were onto something. When I watch those old James Taylor videos on YouTube and rewind my life to my grad school days, I can’t help but replay the blessings that have come in the years since—a successful psychology practice, a happy marriage, many friends and the joy of becoming a father. And I feel a renewed appreciation for the One who bestowed them.[4]

We must never forget the bondage out of which God delivered us.  We must choose to remember and rehearse that deliverance, just as God told the Jews to do through the Feast of Passover.

• Danger Of Traditions Becoming Empty Ritual:  Pastor Scott L. Harris shares this about traditions in a message on Memorials:  Traditions can be good things because they can tie us to the past and what God has done in past times. But it is critical that the reason for the tradition is taught or the tradition simply becomes an empty ritual and then can be forsaken altogether…We all should be aware of how quickly the reasons for a celebration can be lost. Even in our own society the days that have in the past been important days of the worship of God and remembrance of what He has done have been changed by a secular society into excuses for a day off work to play. School systems around the nation have Winter Break instead of time off for Christmas. Within them you may speak freely about the mythical Santa Claus, but you are restricted from speaking about God becoming a man in Jesus Christ. The celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus is Easter and Spring Break, a time for the celebration of the arrival of Spring with fertility symbols and the wearing of brightly colored clothes. Thanksgiving is now "Turkey Day" and is given over to football and gluttony. My purpose in mentioning these as examples is that if our children are to hold any of them as having any significance, then it is up to us to teach them the significance.

The dangers of empty tradition also face the church. Sadly, many churches are full of ritual which has lost its meaning. Whenever I have attended a more liturgical church I have wondered at the meaning of their many ceremonies, yet I also find that the people do not know why what is done is done that way. They simply think that is what they are supposed to do. This church, like all churches, must also be aware and on guard otherwise we can also quickly fall into the same trap.[5]

Our faith is built on Truth, Jesus Christ, the One who is the way, the truth and the life.  There are stories in Scripture which must be told and retold, especially to our children and grandchildren.  As a small child my imagination was built hearing the Bible stories in Egermeier's Bible Story Book; David and Goliath, The Three Hebrew Children, Joseph, Gideon and so forth.  I trust you parents read or tell those stories to your children.  One of my grandson, James’, favorite activities is “Papaw Story Time”.  He loves, at almost 5 to climb up in my lap, I have to put my feet on my desk and tell him stories about when I was little growing up.  I remember stories about my grandpa that I never met because he died when my dad was 2 years old.  He used to ride his horse many miles to spiritual meetings at night.  One old man who knew my grandfather spoke of when he became a “Holy Roller”.  That was his description of my grandfather becoming radically committed to follow Jesus.  My dad told me that his dad wanted to, “raise a preacher, I wasn’t a preacher but I was able to raise one.”  Those stories are a part of my heritage and precious to me.  My Mom telling me she dedicated me to the ministry while I was in her womb.  Those stories have sustained me and encouraged me.  What are your stories of God’s faithfulness?  Have you written them down?  Do you tell them to your children?  I just did, again, today.