Being something of a sentimental sort I tend to save little things that touch my heart and use them in unordinary ways. For instance, in my Bible I have a note written on a page that came from a notepad shaped and decorated to look like a ladies sandal. The note was written by Daniel, one of the grandsons that lived with us for a while. It is in childish scrawl and says, “Dear toothfairy I’m missing my TOOTH! Thank you” It was left under his pillow one night in hopes the Tooth Fairy would leave him money for the tiny tooth he had misplaced.
To-date, that note melts my heart with same the warm fuzzies I felt sneaking out of his room after reading it by the dim night light when my tooth fairy duties were completed. I use the note as a bookmarker and it lives in the chapter of Proverbs. I read Proverbs each day and see the note often. It never fails to make me smile.
I have a rubber mouse that lives in my purse; in fact, he travels from one to another as my outfits change. I’m not sure how I came to have this rubber mouse in my purse in the first place but I’ve carried him around for at least fourteen years. One Sunday morning in church, grandbaby Hannah was getting restless and fussy. I pulled the mouse out and she was delighted by him. She played quietly the rest of the service in my lap. I can not tell you how many babies and toddlers have been entertained by that silly mouse over the years! Hannah is now nearly fourteen years old and he is still my traveling companion. I’ve pondered this mouse issue in hopes of understanding why I keep him. All I can tell you is that when I feel him in the dark recesses of a purse or bring him out for a wiggly child I see the smiling face of baby Hannah and I get too mushy for words; so the mouse stays.
These are but two examples of the little things of my life that take me to another place and time when an especially sweet memory was born. We like to think we have captured the important moments to retain for all time. They silently tiptoe away without notice more often than not. We try to establish traditions we hope our children will find poignant and cherish but our adult perspective and their child’s mind file events under different categories…if they are filed at all. We teach them of the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Santa and work to preserve their innocent beliefs as long as we can. I think it’s to preserve our youthful memories just as much as it is for the kids.
As a parent and now grandparent I relish all the precious times I had with the kids of my life. My little things may seem weird to you but they are treasures to my heart.
Can you imagine how many memories of His children God, Father to us all, must have to reflect on? Boggles the mind! He made provision to forgive and forget the bad and ugly sinful things we do, so His memory storehouse must truly runneth over with warm and fuzzy moments that bring His heart to that place of sweet remembrance.
Mouse or no mouse, life with Hannah was not easy yet it is the mouse that travels with me, not the heartache and disappointments. I can not even wrap my head around all God has set aside on my behalf so He can enjoy the warm, fuzzy times with me. I’m astounded by that!
My prayer for each of us today is that we strive to live and serve Him in such a way that we actively and purposely build sweet memories with our Father God. Those are memories that last!
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