“Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy, in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead.  So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.  I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works, and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land” 

Psalm 143:1-6

Sometimes our minds run back through the years, and in doing so, we yearn for that better time and place…….you know, “the good old days”.  But for some, the past harbors only bitter, fearful, or resentful memories.  Failures, disillusions and fantasies are pondered and thoughts of the cruel hand life has dealt overwhelm the mind.  It’s better to remember the past as David did by contemplating the good that God has done – to “meditate on all His works.....consider what His hands have done” (Psalm 143:5).  As we call to mind the lovingkindness of the Lord, we can see His blessings through the years in our own lives.  This practice brings forth a deep longing for more of God and more of His tender care the Bible often promises, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”- (1 Peter 5:7).  This practice also transforms the past into a place of fellowship and connection with our Lord, building on a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him.  My prayer is that your memories and meditations will draw you into His presence, a place where bitterness, fearfulness or resentment does not exist.