Imagining a Life
I love the Pixar movie Coco and the focus on remembering. Telling stories, sharing memories and passing on traditions is what creates the power of family. It connects us to each other and keeps the bond with those who have died alive.
I recently heard a statistic that says we usually remember only and up to 3 generations back, so that most people will likely be forgotten within two generations. Memories of people fade significantly after those who knew them are gone, unless they achieved significant historical impact or left a strong legacy within their immediate family. Even then, in the end, all is eventually forgotten.
I think that we have this desire to matter, to make a difference, and to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Perhaps that is why we are really bothered by the knowledge that our existences will soon be forgotten after we pass. And because of this we try to cling to anything that promises to extend our influence beyond our deaths. As time passes, even within a family, memories of ancestors naturally fade, especially if detailed stories and information aren’t actively passed down. Yet when we live today with a hope for a future and a focus on tomorrow it increases the value of remembering!
Who can imagine the life of their ancestor? When I think of my grandmother, I know some basic things about her story and her family, but I cannot even imagine the world she grew up in. I can speculate about her thoughts and the things that she did based on the person she became but then again, I am quite different today from the person I was growing up. I am reminded of this when I speak to one of Jim’s siblings as their perspective of their home, their relatives and their brother are very different from each other and the picture Jim painted for me. And it has all but faded away. I am quite sure my grandmother could not dream up what the world was like at the time of the Civil War or even the turn of the last century. It is probably not worth wondering or imagining the life of someone else and yet it does create some sort of dissonance or juxtaposition between the reality of short human mortality and the desire for immortality, for meaning and purpose.
Perhaps being remembered in this life is a trivial concern really. Being known and remembered forever is a different story! I am so overwhelmed by the fact that the only One who remembers me is the only One who really matters– God. It is only for Him and in Him that any one person finds meaning and purpose.
God’s Word says some things are to be remembered and others are to be forgotten. For example, we are told to remember what Jesus did for us regularly at the Lord’s table. We are told to count our blessings of all that God has provided, but we often forget these things and focus on our hardships instead. We are told to remember God’s commands and to hide His words in our heart. We are told that God is faithful and that He never forgets. For this I am so grateful! We know that God does not “remember” things in the sense that He has forgotten. Unlike our own limited brains, the mind of God is infinite and all-knowing; He sees and knows perfectly. The most important thing about us is that God loves us and sees us and remembers us! That gives me comfort as the memories of Jim will fade away. Even my sweet son and daughter in love never knew him and certainly his grandchildren won’t. This is what makes the hope of heaven and eternal life even better; one life forgotten here is remembered by God and will be known in the life to come!