As I drove past the spot (we referred to it as the halfway point) where I often met my 2 daughters to transfer my grandchildren, my thoughts were inundated with memories. For that was a church parking lot located about half way between my house and theirs. So it was a convenient arrangement time wise to pick up or drop off my grans. You can make lots of memories sitting in the car waiting for Mom or Dad after arriving at the parking lot. Fun, sweet, and often humorous ones.

I have such a store of delightful memories at that dear spot. But inevitably I spoil the sweetness by seasoning it with sadness. For I no longer get to make such memories. My cute little funny grans are all grown up now. Driving themselves when they come to visit Nammy & Grandaddy. And even two of them moved to another state while they were still in that cute little funny stage.

Had it not been for an earlier conversation I had had with God that day, my longing for those memories that just don’t happen as much anymore would have intensified. Preparing the ground for seeds of sadness. Instead, God countered them with the following question:

“What about thanking Me for those precious memories, instead of feeling sad because you don’t have them anymore?”

It’s not so easy doing that, you know. For the evil one would have me regret that those days are passed. That would result, as you probably have experienced yourself, in a burden that would grow heavier with every revisited memory. I don’t want to do that, and I’m sure you don’t either.

The reality that I was just feeling sorry for myself became glaringly obvious. So, I decided to put into practice God’s remedy for my pity party. I was motivated to do so because the enemy uses this as a weapon against me way too often. So I purposed then and there that I would resist the temptation of self pity. I would counter Satan’s weapon to feel sorry for myself with God’s mighty weapon of Thankfulness.

So when any sweet memory surfaces about those tender days, I will thank God for those memories. For I have an abundance of memories with my grans and instead of feeling sad that they are declining, I’m going to focus on how grateful I am that I have sooooo many.