I don’t suppose anyone really appreciates childhood while you are actually going through it. Oh, I know there were some good memories and the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons often bring back those memories, but still life as a kid could be tough. Remember all those rules, boundaries, and bosses? Remember how most anyone could boss you around including parents, grandparents, teachers, babysitters, and anyone at least a day older than you? It’s only after you grow up and face the real world that you learn to appreciate childhood. Perhaps childhood is best lived in the world of hindsight.
Of course, that is not to say that everyone had a good childhood. I well know that for some, childhood was filled with some pretty tragic memories. However, thankfully back in my generation, broken homes and abusive relationships were somewhat rare. Looking back, it was generally enjoyable being a child. You had little to worry about when you were younger. You didn’t have to worry about getting a job or paying the mortgage. Things like leaking roofs and flat tires were not your problem. Sometimes, it would be wonderful if we could go back to being children again. It might be nice to spend an entire day in a make-believe world limited only by our creative imaginations. Yet, since we haven’t been granted the privilege of time-travel, the best alternative is to look for ways to bring ourselves back to the good old days of yesteryear. One way is by revisiting our memories.
Nostalgia is big business today. Old toys can fetch a hefty price. Oh, how I wish I hadn’t put my Mickey Mantle baseball cards in the spokes of my bike. For those of us on a budget, cheaper ways for reliving memories are through old television programs. I watched a lot of cartoons as a kid. I still watch cartoons on occasion. I also watched a lot of westerns; I still do when I can find them. For a kid it was truly a magical experience to buckle up your six shooters and dress up in your cowboy suit. Oh, how foolish we were to want to grow up.
Do you remember those horrible words that were so often unmercifully hurled at us? Those words were; “When you get older.” These were words we didn’t want to hear. This short phrase instilled the idea in a kid’s mind that growing up would be a wonderful world filled with unlimited possibilities. As children, we normally viewed growing up as something good and associated it with positive things such as unlimited freedom and independence. To us, it sure looked like growing up would fix everything that was wrong with the world.
When we were young, our dreams and wishes were not so different from our realities. Imaginations could run wild, and we had not a care in the world, or at least not many. But as time goes on, we soon figure out that there will always be someone out there smarter, prettier, stronger, luckier, or just better at something than we are. That instinct we were born with, to trust others, is replaced by a stronger instinct to simply survive. Growing up doesn’t just mean staying up until all hours or being able to take the car out for a night on the town. It means responsibilities and obligations. Good grief, why didn’t they tell us these things? Actually, I guess they tried but it just wasn’t what we wanted to hear. Maybe doing all that homework wasn’t so bad after all.
Oh, to go back and just live in the past! As much as I have enjoyed my life as an adult, there are times when going back to childhood, curling up in a warm blanket of memories, covering all the cold unknowns and unexposed realities of tomorrow would be a wonderful retreat. Just for a short season to bury myself in the glowing days of the pure joy and limited worries of childhood; where do I sign up?
However, although we may all recall special isolated memories from our childhood, nostalgia has more to do with an emotional state. I don’t remember the first time I drank a Coke out of an old glass bottle, but I do remember a specific time-frame in my life when it happened. I don’t remember exactly when I got my first cowboy suit or red wagon, but I know it happened and I know it happened in those magical days of childhood. Just as I have childhood memories of events, I also have memories of certain pleasing odors of childhood. The smell of burning leaves in the fall, of Mom cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and of a live Christmas tree can always bring up memories of the past. We have been told that while the average person can smell 10,000 odors, no two people will smell the same thing. We react to smells differently, associate them with different things, and yearn for them differently.
Nostalgia, like sorrow and happiness, is a universal feeling. It’s one that all races, cultures, and ages share. We all grow nostalgic for the past, even if it’s not the same past. Even if there are parts of your past you would rather forget, most of us still have moments of pleasant memories we wish to retain.
According to The New York Times, “most people report experiencing nostalgia at least once a week, and nearly half experience it three or four times a week.” More powerful than the future, the past gives us reason to carry on. Rather than facing the unknown, we go back to the past to remember why life is worth living. We latch on to memories of happiness to give us faith in the future.
At the end of the day, nobody can be a child forever. That being said, it is good to relive your childhood on occasion. I think God is pleased when we relive good memories. Memories help weave our past with our present, and connect yesterday with today and tomorrow. When we’re celebrating any kind of occasion, we remember the people who, over the years, have been there for us, supporting and encouraging us, making this day possible. Holidays have a special power to help us recall people and events that have shaped our lives.
I think God wants us to remember the simple days of childhood. Our memories might include:
How loving parents sheltered, nurtured, protected, and taught us as we were growing up.
When devastating circumstances shattered your world, and you learned first-hand that you were surrounded by people of compassion and love.
When the loss of a loved one made you realize how important it was to be surrounded by someone who cared.
When your hopes were dashed, but a loving parent reminded you to be on the look-out for a new and better opportunity.
When you were afraid or in danger, but your parents came to your rescue. When you found yourself on the wrong path, but a parent guided you back to the way.
When you realized that your parents were willing to suffer in order to provide for you.
When you were chastened, but still felt secure in the love of your Mom and Dad.
When your parents gave you unconditional love and gave you the security of boundaries, the peace that comes with trust, and you became aware of the foolishness of worry.
All these things are deep in our childhood memories. God wants us to remember these valuable lessons; I think that is why childhood memories are some of the most vivid of all. You see, these are the memories instilled from childhood that teach us about God. Who do the examples I mentioned earlier remind us of?
Each time an Israelite saw the Ebenezer stone, they remembered God’s help in the past, God’s help relied on today, and God’s help assured for tomorrow. The Ebenezer was a “picture” of the Lord’s readiness to hear their cries and save them, and it served to remind them where to turn for their strength and power and Who to thank for their deliverance.
Our childhood memories are like an Ebenezer stone that calls us to remember who God is. The children of Israel reached back into their history and named the marvelous things God had done, the many ways God had delivered them from their enemies, and all the times He forgave their disobedience. The reminders are specific: Didn’t God lead you out of bondage in Egypt? Didn’t He feed you in the desert and keep doing so, even though you grumbled and complained? Didn’t He forgive your repeated idolatry and rampant rebelliousness? Didn’t God give your army victory after victory over your enemies? And if He did so much for you in times past, can’t you depend on Him to do as much, if not more, for you today? And why are you worrying about tomorrow? Won’t He still be there for you, hearing your pleas for help, acting on your behalf?
“I will utter hidden things, things from of old,” the psalmist said, “things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us” (Psalms 78:2-3)
Just like for the children of Israel, many of your memories have been given by God to help you remember. They are given to remind you of God’s power, to give you trust and confidence in Him, to teach you to lean on Him, to be your Ebenezer for as long as you live this side of heaven.
You see, your memories can be your personal Ebenezer stone. Unlike the pillar erected by Samuel, your Ebenezer, your stone of help, requires neither hammer nor chisel. You don’t need to sit down and pen eloquent songs, as the psalmists did. To create your personal Ebenezer, all you need to do is mentally page through your memory album and recall with thanksgiving the many and varied victories God has given you.
You might begin by remembering the gifts of life, parents, home, health, education, and family. Your memories could include the blessings of friends, livelihood, community, and nation. But, especially, remember certain events in your life, times when God turned what appeared to be disaster into an unexpected opportunity, or when He took you through hardship so you could gain the gifts of maturity and wisdom. Your personal Ebenezer turns you away from fear, doubt, and disbelief today, because you realize once again how many times in the past God has forgiven, protected, and healed you. Your Ebenezer memories stand as a constant reminder that God has given you the victory of all victories! Through Jesus Christ, He has made you victorious over the eternal effects of sin, winning for you the promise of eternal life with Him.
Your Ebenezer, your historical record, is your present-day monument to all God has done for you in the past. Your memories, even from childhood, reveal His presence in your life, even if you didn’t realize it at the time. Let these things remind you! Let these memories free you to rely on Him today and through every tomorrow. Just as God has been with you in the past, He will remain with you to help you, strengthen you, and bless you now and in the future.
Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry over forty years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries.