--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To remember the past is to see that we…" description: "\"To remember the past is to see that we are here today by grace, that we have survived as a gift.\" — Frederick Buechner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18d/frederick-buechner-883_grace_to-remember-the-past-is-to-see-that-we-a_1540994.png" --- # To remember the past is to see that we are here today by… ![“To remember the past is to see that we are here today by grace, that we have survived as a gift.” quote by Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18d/frederick-buechner-883_grace_to-remember-the-past-is-to-see-that-we-a_1540994.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18d/frederick-buechner-883_grace_to-remember-the-past-is-to-see-that-we-a_1540994.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18d/frederick-buechner-883_grace_to-remember-the-past-is-to-see-that-we-a_1540994.png) > “To remember the past is to see that we are here today by grace, that we have survived as a gift.” [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing that our existence is a gift of grace helps us appreciate survival as a present. **In simple terms:** Survival is a gracious gift. Key Takeaway Live gratefully for the gift of life. Themes gratitude grace survival Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal reflection - historical awareness - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism theology Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing grace change your daily choices? - What does survival mean to you beyond mere existence? A Different Perspective Grace alone does not guarantee future security. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Grace Survived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace-survived-4532436/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-today-351739/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Remember Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-past/) [Remembering the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembering-the-past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Today Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today-grace-1665596/) ## Related quotes > [You know something folks, God has never started a failure and He sure isn't going to begin with you and me! Many of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kreger/you-know-something-folks-god-has-never-started-a-failure-and-he-sure/) [David Kreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kreger/) > [I have no designs on society, or nature, or God. I am simply what I am, or I begin to be that. I live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-no-designs-on-society-or-nature-or-god-i-am-simply-what-i-am/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [History gives us a kind of chart, and we dare not surrender even a small rushlight in the darkness. The hasty reformer who does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buchan/history-gives-us-a-kind-of-chart-and-we-dare-not-surrender-even-a/) [John Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buchan/) > [I am timeless being. I am free of desire or fear, because I do not remember the past or imagine the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/i-am-timeless-being-i-am-free-of-desire-or-fear-because-i-do-not/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [Santayana's aphorism must be reversed: too often it is those who can remember the past who are condemned to repeat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/santayana-s-aphorism-must-be-reversed-too-often-it-is-those-who-can/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Those who remember the past tend to get the story really screwed up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/those-who-remember-the-past-tend-to-get-the-story-really-screwed-up/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Everyone tends to remember the past with greater fervor as the present gains greater importance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-svevo/everyone-tends-to-remember-the-past-with-greater-fervor-as-the/) [Italo Svevo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-svevo/) > [Instead of causing us to remember the past like the old monuments, the new monuments seem to cause us to forget the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smithson/instead-of-causing-us-to-remember-the-past-like-the-old-monuments-the/) [Robert Smithson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smithson/) > [But it's our curse and our blessing to remember the past and to know there's a future. —Charlie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-remember-the-past-and-to-know/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Let us remember the past with gratitude, live the present with enthusiasm, and look forward to the future with confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/let-us-remember-the-past-with-gratitude-live-the-present-with/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [He who cannot remember the past is condemned to remember the past. Or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/he-who-cannot-remember-the-past-is-condemned-to-remember-the-past-or/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [One of the keys to learning for me has been to not get so hung up on the past. It's important to remember the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-st-pierre/one-of-the-keys-to-learning-for-me-has-been-to-not-get-so-hung-up-on/) [Georges St-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-st-pierre/) > [Why do we remember the past, but not the future?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/why-do-we-remember-the-past-but-not-the-future/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [As the great philosopher George Santayana would have said, 'those who cannot remember the past . . . should simply read Jan Van Meter's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-rocca/as-the-great-philosopher-george-santayana-would-have-said-those-who/) [Mo Rocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-rocca/) > [I can't remember the past, or I can't see very clearly, or I've gotten older and the person I was isn't there anymore, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ronk/i-can-t-remember-the-past-or-i-can-t-see-very-clearly-or-i-ve-gotten/) [Martha Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ronk/) ## More by Frederick Buechner > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [It is impossible to conceive how different things would have turned out if that birth had not happened whenever, wherever, however it didfor millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/it-is-impossible-to-conceive-how-different-things-would-have-turned/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [At least to look back over their own lives, as I have looked back over mine, for certain themes and patterns and signals that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/at-least-to-look-back-over-their-own-lives-as-i-have-looked-back-over/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Snobs are people who look down on other people, but that does not justify our looking down on them. Who can say what dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/snobs-are-people-who-look-down-on-other-people-but-that-does-not/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I could, of course, have done no more if no less than affiliated myself in one way or another with a particular church, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-could-of-course-have-done-no-more-if-no-less-than-affiliated-myself/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Even the saddest things can become, once we have made peace with them, a source of wisdom and strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/even-the-saddest-things-can-become-once-we-have-made-peace-with-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [A Christian isn't necessarily any nicer than anybody else, just better informed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/a-christian-isn-t-necessarily-any-nicer-than-anybody-else-just-better/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“The things that the world fills time with are enough to turn the heart to stone, but the goodness of time itself is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-things-that-the-world-fills-time-with-are-enough-to-turn-the/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The pride that keeps us from forgiving is the same pride which keeps us from accepting forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-pride-that-keeps-us-from-forgiving-is-the-same-pride-which-keeps/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but a the same time you carry them with you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/you-can-kiss-your-family-and-friends-good-bye-and-put-miles-between/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [If the truth is worth telling, it is worth making a fool of yourself to tell it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-worth-making-a-fool-of-yourself/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I suspect that Jesus spoke many of his parables as a kind of sad and holy joke and that that may be part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-suspect-that-jesus-spoke-many-of-his-parables-as-a-kind-of-sad-and/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“How Adewen stuffed her braid in her mouth at that! Or she'd cover her mirth with her hands and shake till you'd think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/how-adewen-stuffed-her-braid-in-her-mouth-at-that-or-she-d-cover-her/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/resurrection-means-that-the-worst-thing-is-never-the-last-thing/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) [Explore all 339 Frederick Buechner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## More Grace quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“There is still a certain grace in a dead festival. It has been happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-still-a-certain-grace-in-a-dead-festival-it-has-been-happy/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Enlightenment is lightening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/enlightenment-is-lightening-up/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [“Serve in the grace of strength within thy soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/serve-in-the-grace-of-strength-within-thy-soul/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Grace does not destroy nature, it perfects it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/grace-does-not-destroy-nature-it-perfects-it/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [Grace is the wonderful spirit that imbues every fiber of our being when we practice the fruits of the spirit: kindness, patience, understanding, forgiveness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-cayce/grace-is-the-wonderful-spirit-that-imbues-every-fiber-of-our-being/) [Edgar Cayce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-cayce/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [Asanas bring perfection in body, beauty in form, grace, strength, compactness, and the hardness and brilliance of a diamond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patanjali/asanas-bring-perfection-in-body-beauty-in-form-grace-strength/) [Patanjali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patanjali/) > [Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit coming to us free of charge to enable you to do with ease what you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/grace-is-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit-coming-to-us-free-of-charge-to/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [ “Through the grace of a thief, one can become a thief and through the grace of a Gnani \[the enlightened one\], one can become… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/through-the-grace-of-a-thief-one-can-become-a-thief-and-through-the/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“God reproduces and lives out His image in millions of ordinary people like us. It is a supreme mystery. We are called to bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/god-reproduces-and-lives-out-his-image-in-millions-of-ordinary-people/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [One of the noblest words in our language is "grace," defined as "unearned blessing." We live by grace far more than by anything else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/one-of-the-noblest-words-in-our-language-is-grace-defined-as-unearned/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [“We have grace of strength to work, to clear our cities of any dirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-have-grace-of-strength-to-work-to-clear-our-cities-of-any-dirt/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Grace is upside-down, to-do-list wrecking, scandalous and way-too free. It's one-way love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/grace-is-upside-down-to-do-list-wrecking-scandalous-and-way-too-free/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) [Browse all 6,886 Grace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To remember the past is to see that we are here today by grace, that we have survived as a gift.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederick Buechner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/to-remember-the-past-is-to-see-that-we-are-here-today-by-grace-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Grace" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/to-remember-the-past-is-to-see-that-we-are-here-today-by-grace-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18d/frederick-buechner-883_grace_to-remember-the-past-is-to-see-that-we-a_1540994.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18d/frederick-buechner-883_grace_to-remember-the-past-is-to-see-that-we-a_1540994.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18d/frederick-buechner-883_grace_to-remember-the-past-is-to-see-that-we-a_1540994.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To remember the past is to see that we are here today by grace, that we have survived as a gift.” — Frederick Buechner", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Frederick Buechner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To remember the past is to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/to-remember-the-past-is-to-see-that-we-are-here-today-by-grace-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/to-remember-the-past-is-to-see-that-we-are-here-today-by-grace-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```