Movie Night & Memories

Ginny’s time off work ends today so our mini-vacation is over. Back to the office for her, back to the fire history book for me.

We spent most of Tuesday dabbling around the pool and talking about future plans. We’ve been toying with the idea of selling this house and moving, but decided there are other things more important to us. So, God willing, we’ll stay right where we are for the moment.

Last night we watched a library DVD, the movie Kinsey which traces the career of sex researcher Dr. Alfred Kinsey. We know what pleases us and what doesn’t, but the movie sparked an interesting conversation. After 38 years of marriage, we’re still learning to know eachother.

For me, the film triggered some really troubling memories; I could just as well have done without a reminder.

Each day has enough pain of its own, no need to dredge up ones from the distant past. It’s a wonder of God’s grace that I made it to adulthood without being an utter emotional basket case.

It surprised me how bad these memories hurt. I thought they were long gone, scabbed over, but the movie reminded me that 60-year-old anguish can be as fresh as a Google news update.

Of course some of my memories return as hilarious (now, not then) or as crushingly embarrassing (even still).

Like the time when I was a Boy Scout and a young lady invited me to an orgy but since I’d never heard the word before and didn’t know what it was she was asking me to do, I turned her down.

Yes, over the years, ignorance has protected my virtue far more often than my sense of morality ever did.

As a youth I fell into that category of folks just too dumb to sin, I suppose.

That’s not to say I stayed that way.

Thank God we only have to survive adolescence once!

But memories, sin, chagrin, regrets and embarrassment aside, I think the thing to know is that Jesus meets us where we are, not where we ought to be.

Back when I used to teach Bible lessons at the rescue mission, a thing I’d always emphasize to the men and women there was that no matter what you have done, no matter what has been done to you, our holy, righteous God stands ready to forgive.

Yes, even that.

God is good.

He cares about you.

Jesus said, “Whosoever will may come” –

and, (Kinsey movie aside) no, He wasn’t talking about that kind of coming.