Recently I had one of those unusual series of events that many Christians would consider "... of God". That can mean many things to many people, but for my purposes we'll use the KISS principle and say that God had His hand in it. Realizing He had his hand in it, and understanding the purpose behind it are two different things (I'll get back to that later).
It was the anniversary of my father's death two years ago January 28, 2020. As is my custom, I wrote a short narrative reflecting memories of dad to share with my brother and sister. This time I recalled time spent with dad and his dad (my grandfather that my siblings never knew well as they are quite a bit younger than me, and granddad died while they were still quite young). As I was remembering events from more than 50 years ago it put me in the mind to know more. Not only to refresh my memory but to learn new things. I was especially interested in the house my dad grew up in that (according to satellite map) may have been still standing in northeast Detroit. The problem was that I couldn't recall the address and wasn't positive that I would even recognize it (I also live five hours away from there).
The only thing I could think to do was contact my cousin as he was her grandfather on her mother's side and about the only person alive that may be able to shed some light on things. We don't stay in regular contact, but I reached her and found out that the house is still standing and that she has photos and letters that can tell me much about that part of our family history. That isn't really the "weird" part, as much as just typical research. The weird part was the card I received the following day from my uncle in Massachusetts who I had not heard from in more than 10 years.
Being from my mother's side of the family, I didn't think his correspondence was more than a strange coincidence, occurring so close to when my father died. As I read the card though, it seemed clear to me that more was happening here. In it he revealed that he had been going through some old 8-millimeter film and since much of it consisted of common events he and I were part of (he's only a few years older than me), he converted the film to a USB drive and included it with the card. Again, this is from someone I haven't heard from in years who sent me incredible video capturing family history that I had just recently become interested in. The kicker is that although this is not the side of the family I was concerned with, the video included images of my cousin, her family, my family, including my grandfather (my only one, as my mom's dad died before I was born), and (totally unexpected as I wouldn't have thought that if it had been caught on film, what are the chances it would be included), a scene of family coming out of my grandfather's house that clearly shows the address! With that, I popped in the address, and there is my father/grandfather's house that I had not been in for more than 50 years. The same house that served as the setting for most of my latest memories of dad that I shared with my brother and sister. Coincidence - I think not.
This brings us back to the purpose (if any) behind all of this. It seems like God had His hand in all of this, but I don't like to trivialize His direct involvement in our lives. I understand that man makes plans, but God directs our paths, but I've never been comfortable with claiming that He controls my every move right down to which shirt I pick out to wear. Somewhere between that belief and being a Deist is where I exist, but I'm starting to get off into the weeds a bit.
My conclusion is that the purpose was not to just experience a maudlin moment, but to be reinforced in the reality of the brevity and transitory nature of life: a real James 4:14 moment. I've had subtle similar reactions to movies we watch. We like to watch old film noir from the 30's, 40's, and 50's and I'm always struck by how these moments caught on celluloid are just reflections of people and often places that don't exist as such anymore. Such relevant people (movie stars) and places (popular establishments) that are gone forever. Seeing these old home movies brings that reality even closer to home as you actually know the people and have been to the places. It could be pretty depressing if not for a Christian worldview. That worldview tells us not to hold on too tight to things of this world as ultimately, we are going to a far better place.
So, I look on these fond memories as evidence of God's blessing in the past and present. In the past as I experienced happiness then and, in the present, as I can enjoy the happy memories in real time. Most importantly I should learn to cherish each and every second and breath God allows me as someday I will be no more than a memory; perhaps caught on film. As a Christian, I don't believe in ghosts, at least in the typical Hollywood notion of them. However, watching the old family movies with all these two-dimensional, animated facsimiles of people you know creates a ghost-like or ethereal dynamic. Watching as people you knew (perhaps still know, if living) gathered together for a celebration of some sort or just going through daily routines, especially at places you were familiar with (such as homes), 3,4, or even 5 decades ago puts me in a very reflective mood. When these scenes unfold in a house that was our home, reminding me of the human energy of loved ones that once vibrated within those walls, I can't help but feel like our memories still "haunt" the place. When that house has now passed on to other people, it almost seems like an unwelcome intrusion into happy memories.
But, memories should be no different than anything else when we're told to not cling to tightly to things of this world. And I typically don't. I don't have a high school yearbook anymore, don't listen to oldies music (that I grew up on), don't live and die with the wins or losses of my college alma mater; in short don't dwell too much on the past - good or bad. I believe that's a healthy attitude for anyone, but especially for Christians. For those of us who became "new creatures in Christ" after the age of 20, there is often extra incentive for moving on from your past. It's a little different though when you get "blind-sided" with video memories from decades ago. Although I run those memories through a Christian worldview lens, and as such can find much to lament; I can see God's blessing in hindsight as it pertains to so many warm moments. Viewing them definitely was a bittersweet experience, but I'm glad for it. It was like hearing a wonderful sermon concerning eternity, the preciousness and brevity of life, and God's awesomeness. He stands, the immutable Rock of Ages, while our home movies just keep getting stashed away somewhere as the players move on.
