Well, this is what my wipe-off board I use for scripture memory has looked like for one month — 
Other than a little water that splashed on it while doing dishes, not one word got erased. I had enough time to get the verses written out and then our lives were interrupted. As Jim’s dad’s health failed we had been living for several months knowing that his last breath could come at any moment. In the midst of uncertainty about the timing, we had to go on living. Then one day, the end was clearly in sight and everything was turned upside down. All our plans and appointments were canceled, and our best intentions – what else could you call the plan to memorize an entire Psalm in one month – suddenly were scrapped.
But, God wasn’t surprised. He used my best intentions to memorize a Psalm that had some, but little meaning, to weave it into a precious time in my life. The last few weeks of George’s life I went over to visit whenever I could even if just for a few minutes. Sometimes it was to give Nancy a break, sometimes to keep her company, and sometimes to spend time with a father-in-law who was always generous in love toward me.
As the end drew near and having a conversation was no longer possible, I started to read scripture with, or mostly just to him. I spent time reading various passages from the Bible but found that I loved to read Psalms to him. We read a variety of Psalms, but since I was trying to memorize Psalm 84 that made it into the mix more and more.
In the midst of room with a man who would soon be with the Lord, I read that a believer’s true longing is to be in the courts of the Lord, that a believer is blessed to reside in the Lord’s presence because he can worship Jesus continually, that the Lord sustains believers on their journey to his presence, and that when we arrive we will know that better is one day with Jesus than 1,000 days anywhere else.
So, the new normal of life is settling in and we are getting back to responsibilities and demands of family and ministry life. In his grace, I am back to memorizing Psalm 84 even if I am not doing it on my original timeline. But now, I am doing it with a deeper appreciation for its meaning.
Since I didn’t have much time on verses 7-9, if you are still willing to memorize with me we’ll restart there and Lord willing we will finish our Psalm next week.
All is well,
Lisa