My brother remembers the tree-fort incident very differently than I do. He enthusiastically welcomes any opportunity to tell the story of how his big sister launched his innocent 4 year old body out of this skyscraper in a tree, resulting in a head wound that is still visible today. In fact, his children can recite a rendition of the event with such conviction that one would actually believe they were an audience to his fall. He remembers being pushed, I remember being panicked. And while he survived the event, and 40 years later, our relationship is well intact, his memory of the day is very different from mine.
We remember what we feel. And I remember feeling very concerned that day about the treefort-fallout that was coming my way. It's hard to say for sure what actually happened that day in the fort, it was a long time ago, but what I do know for sure is that it's a story that continues to be handed down, gaining new details over time. The memories are foggy, to say the least.
When it comes to remembering what God has done in my life, I want to be a better historian. And while I want to remember all of the goodness, grace and kindness He has shown me, I find myself forgetting to remember. So in an effort to remember, I've taken up documenting answered prayer, and any obvious God-things that happen in my life.
If you find yourself forgetting to remember what God has done in your life, you may be interested in trying the following exercise:
1.Reflect back on the past year (or longer), and write down the answered prayer, obvious and not so obvious God-things that have happened, and significant events.
2. Tell others what God has done. Luke 8:39b reminds us to "declare how much God has done for you." This testimony is important and will bring hope to those you share it with.
3. Create something to help you remember what God has done in the past. This might be a picture, or a painting. For me, I had the word 'Redeemed' tattooed on my arm (while I don't necessarily recommend this, it has been a wonderful reminder and conversation starter :) ).
We must remember to remember what God has done for us. He is intimately invested in our lives and His good gifts are ongoing examples of just how much He loves us and wants a relationship with us.
May you continue to feel His goodness in every aspect of your life this month.