My Childhood Hometown

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For the past few days, I've been looking in on a public Facebook page devoted to those who grew up in my childhood hometown. It's brought back a lot of memories, seeing pictures of people and places I knew as a child. Elementary school friends and teachers, Jacob's store across from the school where we could buy a handful of candy for 10 cents, the public swimming pool near our bright yellow house at the end of 4th Avenue, page after page of memories and comments. It was a town then of about 3500, sort of Mayberry-like. We had everything we needed, but if we wanted the bigger department stores, they were a mere half hour or so away. When we went shopping, my hometown was 'uptown', the department stores were 'downtown'. We always stopped for hotdogs on our way home from downtown —10 for $1.00.

Most people who commented were nostalgic and longing for those simpler days when people trusted one another. Days when people didn't feel so entitled as they do today. When we had more freedom to simply live life without people taking offense as easily as they do these days and making others bear the consequences. When people in general were much less coarse than they are today, and the cultural atmosphere itself was not saturated in immorality. The people weren't perfect, and the town wasn't perfect, but living in freedom was a lot easier back then.

One of the postings asked for people to share a secret from their childhood. A commenter cautioned others that in doing so, one person's revealed secret may reflect on another person as well. I'm not a Facebook user, but from what I know of it, it does have the potential to cause havoc. Commendably, commenters heeded the caution.

That comment and others that brought back many of my own memories (some I'd just as soon have left forgotten) reminded me that nothing we ever do is hidden from God. He knows all the good and the bad we've done. Yet because of His grace and through His son Jesus, He calls us away from our past into new life. He forgives as we ask and turn toward rightful living. He is also a rewarder of those who seek Him, and the good we've done for His glory is treasure laid up in heaven. I do hope to see you there with your own treasure. Treasure to worship Him throughout eternity.

Times were, indeed, different back in my childhood hometown, but I wouldn't have wanted to stay there. I've enjoyed my life with My Beloved, whom I met at church when we moved a few miles down the road to his hometown during my high school years. I became friends with his sister, and he became friends with my brother. We began to notice each other more when I began college (in my nearby childhood hometown), and one day he came to see me instead of my brother. Soon we were each other's best friend forever. Back to my childhood hometown? Not me. But the simpler, less coarse days? Definitely!