One of my favorite reoccurring themes in the Bible, specifically the Old Testament, is the theme of remembering. Time and time again the Lord commands and beseeches His people to remember. Remember what I have promised you. Remember what I have commanded you. Remember what I have brought you out of. Remember what I have done for YOU. Did the Lord have to remind His people of these things because they had bad memories? Or because the time that had passed was too great? No. The Lord had to beseech His people to remember these things because our sinful natures cause us to dwell only upon the shortcomings of our lives. We dwell on the things we "deserved" but did not received. And we dwell on the things that we should have been but we are not.
I will be the first to admit that I dwell on these "disappointments" way more than I should. As if that is not wasting enough time as it is, I also find myself contemplating how I can "prevent" these disappointments in the future. It doesn't take long to see how depressing and self-absorbed this cycle can become. So how do we remove ourselves from this cycle and free up our minds to meditate on Christ? We remember.
A sweet friend of mine has been telling me about how she has begun to keep a thankful journal through out each day. As things come to mind, she journals about all of the things she is thankful for in her life. At the end of each day, she reflects back and records other things she remembers that she is thankful for and the things that God has done for her. She remembers.
Can you imagine the freedom we would experience if we spent more time remembering? No longer would we spend hours worrying over whether God would provide supporters for our financial needs. Why not? Because instead, we would look back and remember that God has never failed to provide for our financial needs. No longer would we spend hours worrying about where and when we will head next. Why not? Because instead, we would look back and remember that God provided us an amazing staff team, wonderful students, and a great community here at Southern Miss (even though we spent months being unsure of this step, might I sheepishly add). No longer would we spend hours agonizing over what God's will is for our lives. Why not? Because instead, we would look back and remember how far God has brought us and how far He promises to take us.
This Good Friday (what a powerful day to remember the things God has done) marks the beginning of a renewal of my mind. I no longer wish for my prayers, conversations, newsletters and blog to be about "the ups and downs of ministry", but a remembrance of the things that the Lord has done, is doing, and will do through me and Mitch. Because it is only by remembering what He has done and what He has promised to do, that the Lord alone will receive the glory; and that is our chief end.
Remember: A year ago today (Part 2) to follow... :)
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