GLORY DAYS
I recently attended my High School Reunion; I want to say it was the 20th but a pastor is not supposed to lie. I went to high school in Connecticut, so we traveled to New England. We visited my dad, my youngest son and my wife’s family while we were there.
But the focus of the trip was the Reunion. When I got there, I expected more people and I was surprised how many of my classmates didn’t bring their spouses. Some people I recognized; others had changed over the years.
When I first arrived, a guy came right up to me. He said that my cousin said hi. I asked which cousin and he told me it was Karen. She lives in Ohio so I wondered how he could know her. It turns out they attend the same church.
One classmate was bothered that I didn’t know who she was and questioned whether I had become too much of a big shot to remember the little people. Later my wife told me she was showing people my stuff on social media. Oh well.
Another guy came up and told me he had been listening to my devotions on Pary.com the last few weeks. He had sold his business and was now serving as a Eucharistic minister in the Catholic Church. What a blessing.
A girl I grew up with shared about the time she was watching Fox & Friends and they said I was going to be on the show talking about raising successful kids. She was so excited but then disappointed when the interview was interrupted by breaking news.
I really enjoyed catching up with my old friends. Some I had kept in touch with others I had not seen in years. It was shocking to learn that twenty of my classmates had passed away, including one just two weeks earlier.
Reunions are important. They allow us to remember. It’s good to remember and reflect on how we’ve changed.
Remembering encourages us to be thankful for the people who helped us along the way. It gives purpose to our past through the wisdom gained from experience. Remembering strengthens community, recalling our shared experiences unites us in a way that is needed today.
I Samuel 7:12-13 tells us, “After the battle, Samuel set up a monument between Mizpah and the rocky cliffs. He named it Ebenezer to remind Israel how much the Lord had helped them.” We need to pause and remember how God has helped us through challenges. It gives us perspective and reignites our hope.