Memories that Soothe

1. Remembering the sound of the waves lapping upon the beach outside my window in the house in Mexico. Casa Paz it was called. Peace House. What a wonderful name. I can close my eyes and be there in the quiet of my soul, in the privacy of my mind, in the peace of my spirit. No noise to disrupt, no news to confuse, no cacophony of loud, angry music, so-called. All I hear now is the sound of the refrigerator humming and perhaps a little ringing in my ears, but in my memory the sound of the sea comes to rest from a place faraway and time that will never return. Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote a book called "Gift from the Sea" which I read years ago and loved, and what is a better gift than the gift of the sea and next best is the memory of the sea. The peace I long for as I go about my day is always there, I just have to quiet my soul. I can do that tonight when I lay my head down on that lumpy pillow that is so soft when I let my head fall into it. "Peace like a river" the old song says. 2. And speaking of a river, I remember the Mississippi when I lived in Cape Girardeau. I loved that river. At any different time of day it looked different. Reminds me of what I read once about Claude Monet, how he loved to paint the lilies and the landscapes at different times of day because of the different effects of the light. I remember the river at sundown, watching the barges and occasional cruise ships go by, the lights making their beautiful reflections on the water. I miss the river, but its beauty and its peace became a part of me, and I can remember it now and it is just as real. 3. I remember riding Jim Dandy across the expanse of my Grandpa's farm in Silver Lake. My little bay gelding who ran like the wind and the freedom I can never forget of riding bareback all by myself, that is, just me and Jim Dandy, galloping across the plains where my ancestors crossed along the Oregon Trail in wagons pulled by horses. Well, now, I could ride in perfect peace and freedom, another gift I will cherish forever. These are the three topmost memories that visit me whenever I let them come. There may be more, but those are the top three that come to mind right now. Perhaps you have some memories like that that comfort you and give you peace. There are so many gifts that life gives us, that God gives us, really. And recognizing the source of life's gifts gives them so much more power. Power to be grateful, to be content, to be joyful and rest in the life God has given, to be at peace. And, ultimately, being at peace with God is the ultimate comfort. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, makes everything come to life, because he is life. "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist" (Colossians 1:16-17). Amen.