remember when....
Do you remember the first time you kissed someone you love?
Do you remember the first time you held your child, or the time you woke up early and unexpectedly caught sight of that amazing sunrise?
What about the time when you met a goal you had set for yourself?
Do you remember the time you heard THAT SONG that gave you goosebumps and really helped you finally understand your own feelings about something?
Maybe you can remember the joy of running through the sprinklers on a hot summer day as a kid, or the excitement of the last day of school before summer break?!
Remembering is good for us.
Science shows that remembering “appreciation moments” actually restores that same emotional state to your brain.
Scripture shows that remembering things is good for us AND for God to do! Here’s just a few of the scriptures I found where either God remembers things or asks us to.
Gen 9:15 I will remember my covenant between me and you….
Gen 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.
Ex 2:24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant….
Deut 5:15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.
1 Chron 16:12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced…
Neh 4:14 Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome…
Psalm 42:4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.
Psalm 77:11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
Psalm 78:35 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.
Psalm 143: 5 I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.
Matt 16:9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
Luke 24:8 Then they remembered his words.
1 Cor 11:2 I praise you for remembering me in everything ……
Recently the Lord has been taking me on a journey of remembering the things He has done for me, as well as just remembering the times when I felt close to Him. Do you know what one of the unexpected side effects has been?
Confidence in Him.
When I remember WHO He is, the nagging doubts and questions that run through my mind grow quieter. When I remember the times He has done things for me, those thoughts grow even quieter. When I remember the times I’ve spent in His presence- all I can hear is His voice.
I remember the time I was in Egypt and my Dad baptized me in the Red Sea as the sun rose. That moment was beautiful for me. What I remember first was that the water was freezing! Then as we walked out further, it seemed as though we were walking directly into the rising sun’s reflection line in the water. All of the sudden I felt warm. As I looked up into the heaven’s and felt myself dipped down into the water that was warmed only in this spot by the sun, I was overcome with a sense of God’s presence and love for me. When I remember, I realize that I learned about His warmth in this place. I will cherish it forever.
I also remember the time when I was sitting on a fallen dead tree on a beach in Florida. I was there solely for the purpose of connecting with God. I had my headphones, my Bible, and my journal and I was just soaking in the beauty of this place where it seemed that He had brought me. I remember distinctly hearing in my mind the voice of God telling me that when He created the earth, He made this place for me. That He knew I would come here and appreciate the quiet peaceful beauty …. And He wanted me to enjoy it. When I remember I realize that I learned about His desires for me on that beach.
I can remember one time in a church service when I was on the worship team. I completely forgot about the people in the congregation and was solely aware of the light of God shining on me. My head was lifted high, my arms were out wide, and nothing was more important in that moment than expressing my love for Him. Even after the song ended, I was still caught up in His presence and we just “hung out there” in quiet. I noticed later that everyone else was doing and experiencing the same thing. When I remember this I realize that I learned about the power of reciprocal love in that moment.
As I share these memories with you, I feel as though I am reliving them.
And I realize that while reading these stories some of you may be hearing the questions I am trying to silence. So, I feel I the need to warn you that remembering the places where your questions and doubts began can work in the same way, but in the opposite direction of remembering the good!
For example, if I spend time remembering the times when I felt alone- those nagging doubts and questions are amplified. Focusing on the times where God said “no” and didn’t “answer my prayer” in the way I wanted him to, those doubts and questions grow into louder lies. If I spend time remembering why I came up with those doubts and questions in the first place it’s like giving them a microphone in a stadium full of other doubters and questioners and getting them all to shout in unison!
And that doesn’t feel good. So I WON’T go into detail about those kinds of stories for you! I only tell you this because I would have to bet that I’m not the only one. Perhaps you need the “reminder” to remember the good.
I'd love it if you'd share a story of something you remember in the comments below!
If you'd like someone to practice with ~ that's just one of the things I can do as your life coach!
If you think you're ready to start hearing from God and developing some more things to remember, you might consider joining my next online group called Discovering Immanuel.
