I Thank God Every Time I Remember You

"I thank my God every time I remember you."

Philippians 1:3 (NIV)

My son Tim and I went for a walk yesterday night. (He is doing much better now that he is on a gluten-free diet.) On our way home, Tim spotted a white golf ball lying in the grass. As Tim picked it up and gave it to me, several fond memories immediately came to mind.

When we lived in Hope, BC, we lived near the Coquihalla River. In the summer time, the water level would lower significantly, and I would periodically take my son Matthew and his childhood friend to a spot on the river opposite the community golf course. There we would wade across several small, knee-deep side channels until we came to a long, rocky island in the centre. Then I would let the two boys loose and they would find and collect the golf balls that had been hit into the river and trapped by the rocks.

Those ecstatic wide-eyed boys would yell out each time they spotted an abandoned golf ball. "I found one!!! It's a . . . " (naming the brand). I would stand back and smile at both of them because it was like they were discovering gold. The boys always left with a bag full of golf balls.

To this day, Matthew has his collection. And the picture below shows only one of his many containers that are full of them.

Matthew will never depart from these golf balls, as they too hold a special memory in his heart. Matthew's childhood friend died at nineteen years of age in a car accident. Even though he may be gone, he will always be remembered and loved.