Remember
This summer, Disney is cashing in on people's nostalgia and love for the 1990s - a live action remake of Aladdin, Toy Story 4, and a "live action" remake of The Lion King are all being released. It's a little odd to call a movie starring CGI animals live action, but I digress. Like many people, I am looking forward to all 3 movies - and for the record, Aladdin comes out May 24 (Memorial Day Weekend), Toy Story 4 comes out June 21, and The Lion King comes out July 19.
If one excludes the "Circle of Life" reprise, the final line of The Lion King (1994 film) is this: "Remember". As Simba walks up Pride Rock to claim his rightful place as the new king, Mufasa, Simba's deceased father, tells him to "remember". While Mufasa may no longer be with Simba in the literal sense, the wisdom and lessons he imparted live on with Simba, including to remember, something that we can all apply to our own lives.
There are all sorts of things we find ourselves remembering - dates, names, events, birthdays, anniversaries, assignments, and so on. Some of the most important things that we can remember are those that matter - those that were there for us when we were at our worst or those that gave us a chance when no one else did. With that, we should also remember where we came from and where we've been. Remembering to keep things in perspective is important as well, as our failures don't define us. And, of course, it is important to remember whose we are - God's child.
When we get further removed from a period of time, it becomes easy to forget how things once were. We fall in to the trap of assuming that things have always been the way they currently are. We forget that there were times we faced uncertainty or challenges but were able to work things out. It's easy for me to forget that my primary modes of transportation in Houston for the first 6 months here were walking and buses. It's easy to forget how I was super nervous the first time I went to church here or how it took a while to not feel like "the new guy" anymore - at both work and church. It's important that we remember those experiences so that when others go through them, we can relate to them and help them out.
George Santayana famously wrote that "those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it". This quote has since come in various forms, all of which center around the theme that when we ignore history or the past, we are subjecting ourselves to repeating it.
Earlier this year, I read through the book of Hebrews, where the central theme is about...remembering - remembering that the God of the Old Testament is the same God today, remembering how key figures like Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Samuel, and David lived by faith, or remembering how Christ's sacrifice once for all has made a way for everyone to obtain salvation. It's amusing to read through the Bible and see how God delivers the Israelites out of trouble...only for them to completely forget that God did that and make the same mistakes that got them in to trouble in the first place. For instance, not long after God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, they found themselves worshiping a golden calf. Did they not remember what God had done in their lives?
Funny thing is, that's how it often is in our own lives - we see God do amazing things or see Him work through us and others...only for us to turn around and forget how God worked in our lives or provided for us. Thankfully, God's grace is sufficient for us, no matter how many times we forget how He's worked in our lives. Still, it is in our best interest to remember all that God has done and all that God will do.
Every year, people will say the phrase "new year, new me". Going in to 2019, one thing that I found myself saying was a hope that this year would be more like 2017 than 2018. While there is only so much that is in my control, one thing that I did think about was remembering what made 2017 a great year, one that I look back on fondly. With 2017, things like moving to Houston, making friends, or going on fun adventures were certainly fun parts of the year, but that ultimately isn't what made it a great year. What made it a great year was the attitude I had and what I was doing - the belief that anything was possible, spending time with God, planning out adventures, taking advantage of the opportunities in front of me, and just genuinely having fun. It's a mindset that I have already found myself enjoying, though it's still early in the year.
To close, I find myself remembering how today marks 2 years of living in Houston. 2 years ago today, I flew in to Houston. In a matter of days, I would be starting up a new job, but there were so many unknowns - where would I live? Will I have friends? Will adulting be hard? How will I get to where I need to go? What am I supposed to do with all of the free time outside of work? It's amazing to me to see how far I've come in those 2 years, how when I first started work I was living out of a hotel with only a few suitcases and a backpack. It seems crazy to think that was once the case, yet that was my reality 2 years ago. Let us always remember where we came from, who we are, and most importantly, whose we are. Or, as Mufasa would say "Re-mem-ber".
If one excludes the "Circle of Life" reprise, the final line of The Lion King (1994 film) is this: "Remember". As Simba walks up Pride Rock to claim his rightful place as the new king, Mufasa, Simba's deceased father, tells him to "remember". While Mufasa may no longer be with Simba in the literal sense, the wisdom and lessons he imparted live on with Simba, including to remember, something that we can all apply to our own lives.
There are all sorts of things we find ourselves remembering - dates, names, events, birthdays, anniversaries, assignments, and so on. Some of the most important things that we can remember are those that matter - those that were there for us when we were at our worst or those that gave us a chance when no one else did. With that, we should also remember where we came from and where we've been. Remembering to keep things in perspective is important as well, as our failures don't define us. And, of course, it is important to remember whose we are - God's child.
When we get further removed from a period of time, it becomes easy to forget how things once were. We fall in to the trap of assuming that things have always been the way they currently are. We forget that there were times we faced uncertainty or challenges but were able to work things out. It's easy for me to forget that my primary modes of transportation in Houston for the first 6 months here were walking and buses. It's easy to forget how I was super nervous the first time I went to church here or how it took a while to not feel like "the new guy" anymore - at both work and church. It's important that we remember those experiences so that when others go through them, we can relate to them and help them out.
George Santayana famously wrote that "those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it". This quote has since come in various forms, all of which center around the theme that when we ignore history or the past, we are subjecting ourselves to repeating it.
Earlier this year, I read through the book of Hebrews, where the central theme is about...remembering - remembering that the God of the Old Testament is the same God today, remembering how key figures like Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Samuel, and David lived by faith, or remembering how Christ's sacrifice once for all has made a way for everyone to obtain salvation. It's amusing to read through the Bible and see how God delivers the Israelites out of trouble...only for them to completely forget that God did that and make the same mistakes that got them in to trouble in the first place. For instance, not long after God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, they found themselves worshiping a golden calf. Did they not remember what God had done in their lives?
Funny thing is, that's how it often is in our own lives - we see God do amazing things or see Him work through us and others...only for us to turn around and forget how God worked in our lives or provided for us. Thankfully, God's grace is sufficient for us, no matter how many times we forget how He's worked in our lives. Still, it is in our best interest to remember all that God has done and all that God will do.
Every year, people will say the phrase "new year, new me". Going in to 2019, one thing that I found myself saying was a hope that this year would be more like 2017 than 2018. While there is only so much that is in my control, one thing that I did think about was remembering what made 2017 a great year, one that I look back on fondly. With 2017, things like moving to Houston, making friends, or going on fun adventures were certainly fun parts of the year, but that ultimately isn't what made it a great year. What made it a great year was the attitude I had and what I was doing - the belief that anything was possible, spending time with God, planning out adventures, taking advantage of the opportunities in front of me, and just genuinely having fun. It's a mindset that I have already found myself enjoying, though it's still early in the year.
To close, I find myself remembering how today marks 2 years of living in Houston. 2 years ago today, I flew in to Houston. In a matter of days, I would be starting up a new job, but there were so many unknowns - where would I live? Will I have friends? Will adulting be hard? How will I get to where I need to go? What am I supposed to do with all of the free time outside of work? It's amazing to me to see how far I've come in those 2 years, how when I first started work I was living out of a hotel with only a few suitcases and a backpack. It seems crazy to think that was once the case, yet that was my reality 2 years ago. Let us always remember where we came from, who we are, and most importantly, whose we are. Or, as Mufasa would say "Re-mem-ber".
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| One more thing: remember the Alamo. Sorry - couldn't resist! |
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