Honest Recall

Buechner suggests that we should listen to our life. I agree, but would add that most of us employ selective hearing when we do, explaining why we remember certain experiences and not others. Memory is fickle and frequently exaggerated, meaning that I often do in remembering what I lack the courage to do today. Life can certainly seem to have been better than reality records, the mind's protection against loss and disillusionment. A healthier approach is to recall the past honestly and translate it quickly into prayer. Confession comes from such brutally transparent thinking, but so does thanksgiving and worship. To see clearly where we've been is to recognize the hand of Providence; remembering God is tantamount to praising God.