The Key To A Pure Heart

By Randy Knapp

While recently visiting with my older brother in my childhood stomping grounds of Walla Walla, Washington, the subject of our father came up. My brother was sixteen when our dad died, and I was eleven, so our recollections might be a bit rusty.

I asked him if his memories were more positive or negative. You see, my dad had a bit of a temper, and he was away long hours to support a family of seven children. Despite his shortcomings though, he was a devoted dad and often took us up to the mountains or to the Columbia River to hike, camp, or boat, and to spend family time together.

My brother responded immediately, “Oh, I have good memories. It takes too much energy to dredge up bad ones, and besides, with all the responsibilities he had to support a large family, and all the pressures, I know Dad did the best he could.”

I am the father of two sons and it isn’t hard for them to dredge up dreaded moments of my volcanic past. You see, I have a bit of a temper as well. I have often asked forgiveness of my wife and sons for those moments I wish were more forgettable. I want to be remembered in the distant future as a husband and father who loved his family fiercely and served them with devotion.

My brother reminded me what God’s heart is like. When we bring up our regrettable past God often seems bewildered or forgetful. He kindly reminds us that He has thrown our sins into the deepest parts of the most distant regions of the sea and He remembers them no more. It’s like He is saying, “It takes too much energy to remember your sins. I know you are doing the best you can with what you have, and I choose to remember your past with fondness. Now, let’s move on.”

Maybe that’s what a pure heart is - one that chooses to forget or at least forgive the past blunders of our loved ones and move on together toward a brighter future filled with cherished memories.

Randy Knapp writes from Medford, Oregon. You can correspond with him at knappsnest@msn.com