Remember When . . .

Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Deuteronomy 8:2 NLT

I can remember when . . .

Most homes had screen doors. And not the present type where the top half of the door is glass, and only the bottom half is screen. And not a door made of aluminum, either. No, wood–real wood–framed these doors. And another piece of wood stretched through the middle of the door to keep the screen stretched taught.

But the thing I remember most about these doors was what was attached to that center piece of wood: a long spring. When someone opened the door, a distinct sound erupted—one I can still hear in my mind today, but one I have not heard in many years.

Screen doors had a purpose. Most homes did not have central air—or air at all—so a screen door allowed the residents to open the wooden door to let in fresh air but keep out insects and varmints simultaneously.

The home my wife and I currently reside in didn’t have a storm door on the back. We wanted a screen door, so we searched everywhere for an old one. Not the current aluminum type, but the old wooden type. One that had a spring that would creak when we opened the door. It didn’t have to be painted. We would enjoy the look of raw wood. And a small hole or two in the screen wouldn’t matter. We could put tape over those or stuff cotton balls in them.

Unfortunately, we never found one. But we did find a new one with an old look–complete with spring and latch.

Screen doors aren’t the only thing I remember. I recall when we had to wind clocks, type on manual typewriters, play outside because we had no video games to occupy us, ride in cars with no air, eat at the table with our families, play outside with our new toys on Christmas day, ride bicycles, and listen to our teachers—who, by the way, were always right.

Remembering is a good thing, and it’s sad to watch someone whose mind has been stolen by dementia or Alzheimer’s. God often called his people to remember. And the one thing he kept taking their minds back to was how he delivered them from Egyptian slavery. Sure, they experienced other periods of slavery because of their disobedience, but Egypt was the big one—four hundred years of misery. What God really wanted them to remember was his goodness in delivering them.

All of us can remember when . . . Whatever protrudes in our memory, God controlled—the good and the bad, the pleasant and the unpleasant. Looking back, we’ll see how he brought us through and out of that circumstance. We learned lessons about his power, love, and goodness.

Remembering reminds us we control very little. God, however, commands all things. His love for us causes him to act benevolently on our behalf. Like the large spring on old screen doors, he holds us closely and continually draws us back to himself.

What do you remember that helps you recall God’s goodness to you?

Martin Wiles

Martin is the Managing Editor for Christian Devotions and the Directing Editor for Vinewords.net. He is an author, English teacher, minister, freelance editor, and founder of Love Lines from God (www.lovelinesfromgod.com). His most recent book is Don't Just Live...Really Live. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of seven.

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