Don’t Forget

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:2‬ ‭

Do you ever make lists??

I do.

Not that they help much.

See, this is me.

Well, an image of my memory. You may notice that – well, chunks are missing.

Big chunks.

Even my littles have noticed that I have a tendency to forget things. Not really important things – I know how to pay bills and can hold down a job and keep my family fed and generally ‘adult’. Annoying things that make my life more difficult. Things like where I put my water bottle. Or pen. Or what I just photocopied. Or my lunch. Or what my password is.

Did I mention my pen?

We were talking one day in our classroom about what the littles’ ‘superpowers’ were. I was calling out their strengths – one had the power to notice others and their feelings. One had the power to do mental math. Another had exceptional artistic ability, two more the ability to make people feel welcome. They were all smiling and feeling the warmth that comes with being affirmed, when one little approached me.

“Mrs. Lowes, I know your superpower!” she declared with a dazzling and conspiratorial grin.

I was intrigued. “Wow, do you really?” I asked her.

I bet I filled her tank, and she’s going to tell me my superpower is kindness, I thought. Maybe compassion. Or surely, teaching!

Nope.

“Forgetting things!” she declared with confidence and the full assurance of secret specialized knowledge.

Great. Just great.

*sigh*

What do you do to remember the good things God has done in your life?

You may not have ‘forgetting’ as a superpower – eat your hearts out – but I bet you could use a few memory techniques to keep your heart from forgetting His good gifts.

1. Keep a running gratitude list.

I kept a gratitude journal a while back. It was a fantastic way to keep a record of the simple things in my day that had brought me joy. What a great way to mindfully watch for God’s gifts daily.

2. Create stones of remembrance.

I saw an idea once for writing answers to prayer or blessings onto smooth river rocks and keeping them in a jar. Then, on days when your faith is flagging, you can reread the stones and remind your heart that God is good.

3. Share triumphs and trials with a loyal friend.

There’s nothing like talking over and meditating on the ways and challenges and inspiration of a life of faith with a good friend. Friends remember your past victories and past blessings, and can reflect your shared history back to you in ways which remind you of God’s faithfulness.

4. Read, read, read!

Read – your Bible, books by men and women of faith who are gifted with sharing and explaining God’s word, stories of fellow believers who rose above their challenges to live a life of exemplary service. All of these will draw your heart to relate to and remember times when God showed His faithfulness to you.

And over all these, cover your efforts with praise.

Praise!

As in, letting God know how awesome He is, how much you love Him, how much you appreciate His character and His blessings. It’s called worship, and it has amazing benefits. Not for God – He already knows how you feel and doesn’t have any needs outside of Himself. No, worship will benefit you. It will clear your mind, refocus your dreams and desires, activate your memory, stimulate you to wholesome and healthy thinking.

So.

Don’t forget.

Ensure that you never forget God’s blessings with me?

Father, You are good, and faithful, and kind – and we so often overlook or forget all the lovely blessings You provide. Help us to remember Your goodness and continue to look for and appreciate Your gifts. Amen.