In my years of ministry I have had the privilege of journeying with people through some very difficult times. It always amazes me how clearly we remember the difficult things that are happening to us and the dark moments from our past. The reality is that those things do play a significant role in forming and shaping us, but I do believe that there are other things that are worth remembering too. If all we remember is the dark times, it becomes very difficult to see light in our future, in fact some people come to the conclusion that they are destined for pain and hardship. That perspective comes, in part, from focusing on the negative things from our past. We use hurt, pain and hardship to colour how we see the future.

Today I want to challenge you to remember something else and set those memories in the forefront of your mind to act as constant reminders. When the Israelites were entering into their long awaited promised land they crossed through the Jordan River. This was no simple or ordinary event, God miraculously stopped the river and they crossed on dry ground. In Joshua 4:3 someone from each of the tribes were instructed to take a stone from the middle of the Jordan, where the priests were standing. The purpose of the stones was to build a memorial, something to remember this moment by.

1. Stop and Remember: Take a moment and remember one great thing that has happened in your life. This process of remembering is healthy and I suggest you set aside some time to do it. Think back through the pages of your story and find at least one moment where you know that God’s hand was at work. This isn’t just any ordinary event, this is a moment where you know that if it were not for God you may not be here today. Now I want you to write this down. The purpose of this is to figuratively take a stone worth remembering from your own story. Instead of replaying and remembering all the bad things, let’s take some time to pull up something worth remembering.
2. Put it somewhere prominent: Now take what you have written down and put it somewhere in your home, office or bedroom where you can see it. In the business and chaos of life, we have to put things in front of us literally sometimes so that we don’t forget. Much like a to-do list helps us not forget, this note about this significant moment meeds to be somewhere that you will be reminded. Each time you see it there should stir in your heart gratitude for God’s faithfulness and grace as well as hope for the future. If He did it in the past then he can certainly do it in the future.
3. Tell other people: When other people see our outlook on the future and that we have peace it is important to tell the story. Make sure you give honour where honour is due and let people know that if it weren’t for God at work in your life you wouldn’t be where you are today. It is also great to encourage other people to stop for themselves and remember what is good about their story and to remind themselves about that.

In this way our remembering actually helps us see the future better and produces hope, that even though life is never perfect and challenges do come, we can make it through. God is faithful. 

If you are interested in getting help to move forward into your next season we would love to hear from you and maybe help champion you along your journey.