Boxes of Memories

7 years ago I moved from Virginia to Oregon. There wasn't enough room to bring everything so boxes of keepsakes got left behind. Last Friday I came home to 12 boxes in my living room. 12.

At first it was fun, like Christmas. Box after box held baby pics of Paxson and Dante', old letters, movies tickets,etc. But as I dug farther into the pile, most of my past was being pulled from those boxes. Too many memories. Way too many. Why did I keep all those things? Almost every paper I've written, all my report cards from grade school through high school. People long forgotten or left behind. Reminders of mistakes and lonely times.

That first night I couldn't sleep. My head was spinning with information overload. The bedroom was so full of stuff the floor couldn't be seen. The second night was a little better. Still it was hard to think about my life before coming to God. Shallow, selfish, and reckless are good words to describe my teens and twenties.

By Saturday the thrall of the boxes was over. Every needless item had been trashed. Precious memories re-boxed. Other items assimilated into this home. The only feeling remaining is thankfulness to the Lord for remaking us anew when we come to Him.

-EJ