Johnhwilburn.com

There is a group of seven or eight kids in a part of Barrouallie who I minister to almost every day. We sing songs, listen to Bible stories, share verses, and read together. I jokingly call them “my children.”

Yesterday on my birthday I decided to do something fun with them. So as we spent our time together they received cookies, crackers, and chips to eat.

It wasn’t a huge amount of food….

But the memory was the important thing.

My Mother had a saying when I was younger. When the family was doing something fun, or different together, she would say we were “making memories.” The interesting thing is she was right! Often those family experiences weren’t expensive, or massive endeavors. They were simply fun moments that we spent making memories together.

Somewhere on my facebook page from many years ago is a grainy video of my family in West Virginia. I was going out into the snow, and my brother (without my knowing it) snuck up and pushed me into the snow.

This began a snowball fight while the family dog jumped around, and my niece Chloe as a little girl (now a teenager) laughed hysterically.

That experience was free!!!

but I will never forget the memory.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to create expensive or massive experiences of course. But it’s easy to forget how meaningful how something as small as a snow ball fight can be.

As we feasted on junk food yesterday, I was thankful the Lord gave me the opportunity to have an influence in the lives of Vincentian children. Part of that influence is teaching them the truths of Scripture, helping with education, and challenging them to obey the Lord.

But somedays that means eating lots of chips and cookies.

And somehow I think that’s what they will remember.