Remembering the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
There are memories I’d rather not remember. I shove them deep down. Images of difficult people, scenes of poor choices, snapshots of hard times.
On the flipside, there are those I don’t want to forget—ever. Time spent playing with my children; our nightly reading; the joy of each one’s birth; my wedding day, dinners out with just hubby and me; holidays with my parents, siblings, and in-laws; vacations.
All of these memories make up our collective past. But we pick and choose our favorites to hold onto.
The “good” thoughts are pulled close; the “bad” pushed away … far away.
Yet isn’t it the good and bad that God uses to mold us into who He created us to be?
That may be, but I still would rather not dwell on the disturbing and difficult.
However, I am so grateful, our Lord doesn’t have any such aversion. The Lord Jesus Christ chooses to remember the ugly, the painful, the sinful.
He remembers His excruciatingly painful sacrifice on the cross. He remembers the ugly and sin-filled who put Him there.
The Redeemer draws the “bad” as well as the “good” near.
He chooses to remember you and me, the entire worthless lot of us. And I’m so grateful He does.
Because Jesus’ remembering leads to our …
Forgiveness. Redemption.
Mercy. Grace.
Unmerited salvation!
Jesus chooses to remember you & me, and His remembering leads to our forgiveness, redemption, & unmerited salvation! Share on XPraise God!
“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” (Luke 23:42)
Reflections: It is painful to dwell on certain memories, but what are some good reasons to remember bad things?
Linking with Lisa-Jo where a group of us write uninhibited for 5 minutes (or a few more) on a given topic. It is a wonderful exercise in letting the words flow. Click the button to check out more posts or consider linking up yourself. Today’s topic is “Remember.”
Give it a try. Join us at Lisa-Jo’s. And if you do scratch out a piece for 5 Minute Friday, go ahead and link it up in my comments as well.
By His Grace,
Julie
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Hello, I'm Julie, an imperfect wife and mother of four. Life in this broken world is not always easy. Yet, joy can be found in each day through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I find it's easy for our day's blessings to get lost in its happenings. But God's "mercies never end" (Lamentations 3:22) and His "grace is sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
May the posts and pages on this site offer you a measure of peace and encouragement.
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Love this, Julie. How marvelous that He truly does draw the good and bad together– redeeming it all.
What horror if He only accepted the good as we like to do!
Popping over from FMF. Love this! He doesn’t forget us.
Such a comforting thought, Shawna.
Really like this.
Thanks, Denise.
This is wonderful and so fitting with Easter just around the corner…..
What a gift we have at our disposal – to be able to come before Him with all our ugly and be perfectly acceptable….
I’m so glad He remembers us. Thanks for such a great reminder of all He does for us.
I rest in this truth often, Fiona. Enjoy a blessed Easter.
To answer your question: It is painful to dwell on certain memories, but what are some good reasons to remember bad things? The answer is yes. Some good reasons to remember bad things… 1. Reminder of what went wrong and why (if based on a choice I made) 2. Puts things into perspective today 3. Point of empathy for others struggling today 4. Strength in my walk with and through Christ.
Absolutely! #2: If we don’t remember the bad, it is difficult to appreciate the good. Thoughtful points, Brent. Thanks.
Those bad things hopefully taught us something and made us who we are today. God knows what he is doing, sometimes we need to experience the bad to understand the good. Without the bad, I may not have found my way to church and too the Lord. I thank God everyday for all the good and bad I have experienced that brought me to Him.
Good for you, Kimberly! It does take effort, though, to be remember and be thankful for the bad. But I agree, it is well worth it.
Wow Julie…a beautiful post. Praise God that He is able to take our bad and redeem it and grow and change us in the process. Blessings in Christ…Susan
Praise Him indeed, Susan!
[…] Yet in my pursuit of savoring the life God has given me, I’m learning to be grateful for the good, the bad, and the ugly and to be intentional about living fully in those to […]