The Rings of Memory
In Psalm 40 (1-3) we read these words of hope:
I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
This psalm reflects a person who had been in lows of human despair and heartache. He tells us he prayed for help and he cried out to the Lord. And God heard and delivered him… And as he reflects back on his life, he feels compelled to give thanks and praise…
In his book, Walking in Wonder, (p.151) the Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue writes this:
“In a strange way, nothing is ever lost or forgotten; everything that befalls us remains within us…. The image in nature that is really profound in relation to that is the tree; all the rings of memory enfold all the years of growing, blossoming, dying, and enfold all the elements of experience. In a similar way, within the clay part of each soul, the rings of memory are there, and you can find them.”
As I mentioned last week, it is true that a lot of the experiences that we have in the world are torn, broken, or hard… But what I’ve come to see is that we begin the process of healing what is hurting, torn, and broken within us, when we visit those places with compassion and with eyes of faith.
This is not something that can be done in the moment. It is not something that can be done in the midst of the pain. Sometimes only years later, looking back; perhaps asking a different set of questions…
I can’t help but think that is exactly what the psalmist was doing when he wrote this psalm, that he had harvested the memories of a bitter time… he was able to see something beyond the pain and heartache… that there was yet beauty.
As you reflect back on your life, may you do so with a heart of compassion and eyes of faith. And may you see that even amidst the heartache and loss, there is also great love and grace.
Let us pray: Open our hearts and our eyes, O God, to glimpse your presence all throughout the journey of life; in Christ, we live and pray. Amen.
Daily Message Author: Joe Albright
Joe began his ministry in Sarasota, Florida as an associate pastor, and it was in this capacity that he worked alongside the Reverend Dr. Roger Kunkel. Roger was a colleague who became a mentor and treasured friend. From Sarasota, Joe was called to Jacksonville, Florida where he served as the Head of Staff at Hodges Boulevard Presbyterian Church. Currently, Joe and his family worship and serve at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Switzerland, Florida. Full Bio
