Merging is a New Journey - When Memories Hit You

Candles lit during an Ash Wednesday Service

If you asked me to choose one photo that was my favorite during my time at Wappingers UMC, I would have a very hard time choosing one.  I have so many.  Some I have taken.  Some others have taken.  Sometimes I'm in the picture.  Sometimes someone else is in the picture.  Sometimes a saint who has gone on has been in the picture.  And sometimes, no one is in the picture, like above.

As part of the closing service, which at this point I think will never happen, I was working on a slide show or short video of photos that I had been given, were found around the church, or that I had personally.  With everything being postponed, it gave me more time to refine the video, work with music, and some other things.

Today I watched the semi-finished product.

I was at first afraid of not being able to hold it together through the entire almost 8-minute thing.  But, as I watched it, I found it wasn't so bad.

Until I got to some of the true memories.  All those fun times.  Fun meals.  Beautiful sanctuary pictures.  The great photos with people who have gone Home to Heaven.  And I lost it a bit.

And that was just what was on my little laptop screen after working for the day!

Even though we are in very strange and tough times, those memories will still remain.  Even though we will no longer be worshipping in the familiar space and will be making new friends, those memories will remain.  Even if I didn't have pictures of them, those memories will remain.  And I think that is the lesson that I learned today.  Yes, there are times when the memories hit you.  But they will be there.  Always.  But they shouldn't keep us from moving forward with whatever path God has for us ahead.  And we will make new memories.  Not to replace the old ones but to add to them.