Good Friday has become one of my favorite holidays to celebrate.
In 2025, God placed it on my heart to start a new tradition. I hosted a dinner for my family on Good Friday and I asked them to each bring items that they considered “memorial items”. Items that reminded each of us of God’s faithfulness and what He has brought us through. Some examples could be a picture, a bracelet, a book, a t-shirt, etc.
The purpose was to remember all the amazing things God has done in our lives and share stories of things He has delivered us from, healed us from, taught us, how we received salvation, etc. Sharing our testimonies is not just to encourage others, but so God is continuously remembered in our lives and constantly revered.
We see examples in the Bible where people would forget what God delivered them from and go back to it, or get too comfortable and step into things outside of His covenant.
So it’s been something that’s important for me to do – to remember.
To remember what God has done in my life and the lives of others so I don’t forget His goodness and power and deliverance and restoration. He saved me from so much and set me on a new path and I want to continue to walk in that and share it with others.
An example of an item I brought was a box of notecards I had. In 2024, I spent each night reflecting on gratitude – writing down the good from each day. It was a hard season and God taught me that year that joy is a choice and that we have to be intentional to reflect and look for the good. These cards remind me that God was there and did show up in small ways during a tough year. And when I need encouragement, I go back and look through some of those memories.
A memorial item for my dad was a collection of t-shirts. He had a shirt from different significant events in his faith journey. One from his first mission trip (where my brother and I were saved!), one from when he led his first serve project at church, and the list goes on. He could look at each of them and see the impacts these memories had on shaping who he is and see God’s faithfulness in the midst of his life. Taking the time to do this reminded him of how much God had done in his life.
I wanted to share this experience with others on here in hopes that others would feel encouraged to do their own version of this. The items you choose are up to you! Joshua had stones, the Israelites had feasts, we have communion.
I created a document that dives a bit deeper into understanding the origins and purpose behind Passover and the Last Supper and Jesus’ role in all of this. I printed out copies for my family and I to read and talk about as we ate our dinner together. See below for the first few pages of the printout that you can use with your family and friends. Here is the link to access the rest of the handout.
I also created an invitation for this dinner that I shared with my family. Here is the link for this invite.
I hope you get to have your own version of this type of memorial dinner. It was a beautiful moment we shared full of tears, laughter, and gratitude. I am blessed God put this on my heart and is something I want to continue every year with the people in my life. I hope it blesses you as well!
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