ANNIVERSARY TIME
Leon Crooks
November 21, 1919 - April 12, 2014
Anniversaries are
important. We most often think of
anniversaries in relation to marriage, but there are others that we note and
experience in life.
We have just come
out of the Passover and Easter seasons, the former is the anniversary of the
rescue and establishment of Israel
Today I am remembering my father, especially, as it is the one year
“anniversary” of his leaving this world and entrance into the heavenly realms
with Christ. It is a day of mixed
emotions for me, as I know he was ready and longing to move on from this earth,
but it is always so hard to say goodbye.
(Or, I guess, it is legitimate to say instead, see you later.)
Not all anniversaries are
joyful ones. In the holiday sections of
my books, there are special devotions for anniversaries, because anniversaries
can be particularly hard after a divorce.
For some, the day that was their wedding anniversary is the difficult
day to get through…especially the first time it rolls around. For others, there is sadness when they
remember the anniversary of the day the divorce was filed or finalized. Some may focus on the anniversary of the day
a spouse moved out.
There are some who have
suffered much in their marriages, and the anniversaries related to divorce may
be as mixed as my anniversary of dad’s death.
On the one hand, they experience the loss, sorrow and sadness of a
marriage broken, with the once uttered promises ringing hollow in their
ears. But they may also experience the
anniversary as the day that life was started over, the beginning of a second
chance that has delivered them out of their own Egyptian bondage and led them
to places they never dreamed could be.
Anniversaries are
milestones, important days of remembrance.
Every husband who has ever forgotten his marriage anniversary can attest
how important it is because they probably witnessed the resulting
disappointment of their wives.
Are there anniversaries
in your life that need to be remembered?
Maybe the anniversary of your commitment to Christ as your Savior. Perhaps your anniversary reflects on something
you have left behind, as the Alcoholics Anonymous members mark anniversaries by
years of sobriety, years they have left behind their debilitating habit. You may have an upcoming anniversary to
celebrate, or one to mourn.
I know that
for me, that first wedding anniversary after my divorce was a troubling day,
but a day I had to face and begin to lay the past to rest. Anniversaries remind us of where we have
been, but perhaps more importantly, remind us of how far we have come. God never leaves us stuck in our past; he
always invites us forward to new achievements, new opportunities to establish
new anniversaries in our lives.
While life brings some
things that are wonderful and exciting, it also brings things that can be
troubling and difficult. It is important
to not be so overwhelmed with the hardships that one cannot see the good things
in life, some of which even come out of those very hardships. I hope that some of your anniversaries are
celebrations of joy.
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