What do you remember from your years of growing up? It seems that some days my mental tapes only replay the hurtful things people have said over the years. For example, my grandfather saying I was too lazy to amount to anything. Or my father not allowing me to help wash the new car because I didnt do it good enough. (I was 7 or 8 at the time, and you would have thought they could have cut me a little slack!)
Of course there are good memories, too. Like my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Rosenkrantz, one day telling the class that she was sure I would grow up to be president. Or my little league coach telling the team I was the best player he had ever coached. (While I didnt fully believe either comment, still they both encouraged me to do better in school and on the baseball field.) To this day I remember their words with great fondness.
All of us have heard comments that have been both hurtful and helpful to our development over the years. And those comments, on mental tapes, play over and over, dont they? But there are some things that we should always remember about our individual lives. Perhaps these things have never been said to us, but we need to know that each of us is a special creation of God, and He wants us to understand how special we are.
What follows is a list of things to remember that I recently found on the internet (a great source of knowledge!) Ive heard many of them before, but never together like this. So I thought Id share them with you. In the sharing, I hope and pray they will do two things for you. First, may they counteract some of the harmful things that have been said about you throughout your life. And second, may they encourage you to enjoy a positive future, knowing that indeed you are someone special, and no one can take that away from you. No one can take that away from you because you were created by God. Read and remember
REMEMBER
* Remember that your presence is a present to the world.
* Remember that you are a unique and unrepeatable creation.
* Remember that your life can be what you want it to be.
* Remember to take the days just one at a time.
* Remember to count your blessings, not your troubles.
* Remember that youll make it through whatever comes along.
* Remember that most of the answers you need are within you.
* Remember those dreams waiting to be realized.
* Remember that decisions are too important to leave to chance.
* Remember to always reach for the best that is within you.
* Remember that nothing wastes more energy than worry
* Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
* Remember that the longer you carry a grudge, the heavier it gets.
* Remember not to take things too seriously; remember to laugh.
* Remember that a little love goes a long way; remember that a lot goes forever.
* Remember that happiness is more often found in giving than getting.
* Remember that lifes treasures are people, not things.
May God bless your day with peace, joy and love.
Author Unknown
Rick Carpenter is the pastor at the United Methodist Church in Dolores and the First United Methodist Church in Dove Creek.