Treasured Moments


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Glass
July 08, 2009

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. – Psalm 23:1 NIV

The last few weeks I have been caught up in the joy of new motherhood and grand parenting, all at once. There has been a lot going on. My husband and I recently said our final farewell to our precious 15 year old cocker spaniel. He was a good old soul. Cranky most times, but very loyal and protective. A good friend, he was. I miss my old buddy and all his little quirks and am grateful he was in our life. We had many treasured moments with him. It is said one of the best tributes you can give to the memory of a beloved pet is to open your home and heart to another one. Although we cautioned ourselves about making any hasty decisions as we moved forward, we surprised ourselves and within one afternoon, we had a new pup and all the fixin’s that went with it. Parents again!! When we found out the pup was born on Easter morning at sunrise, we figured it was a “divine” connection. We trusted God to turn our mourning into joy and He certainly did! Chewed shoelaces, squeaky dog toys and games of “tug” have consumed us. Happily, our home is alive once again with new life and hope.

On the heels of welcoming the new puppy, we were overjoyed to have the company of our 12 year old grand daughter for a two week visit. Spending time with her is so rewarding for us. She is sweet, smart and helpful. Our treasured moments are when we pray together in the morning and at bedtime. She bought herself a little book to enter the names of all of the people she wanted to pray for so she wouldn’t forget anyone. It is the childlike faith she has that warms my heart, especially when she starts off her prayers saying, “Hey God, it’s me, Brianna. I hope you are having a good day”. How precious and innocent. She is building her relationship with Him one prayer at a time. Looking back one day when she is grown, hopefully she will fondly remember this particular visit when she memorized the 23rd Psalm perfectly and felt such pride at her accomplishment. How wonderful to be a witness to her spiritual growth. Now that she has returned home, I hope that she tucked a few treasured moments of her own into her heart for the trip back.

Treasured moments accumulate over a lifetime and are God’s gifts to our soul. They are the symbols of the emotion that connects us to many things…a relationship, an event, a place, a time. With godly wisdom as our guide, we recognize those times and hold them close. We collect those special times, those treasured moments to store in our souls for comfort along our own journey. Some memories bring us joy and laughter. Other memories contain sorrow because we can’t go back to the way things once were. God is there for us every step of the way. Taking the act of faith to move forward to the future is a bit easier when we carry a heart full of treasured moments from the past.