These days have been full of packing and going through boxes to prepare for a move to our new home.  This house is the one we plan to grow old in. We are downsizing so our home will be manageable when we are old and grey (OK so I already may be just a little grey under this dyed hair).  That means moving from a larger home to a smaller home, which means less closets, less cupboards, less storage. So I can’t possibly take everything with me.  I have to decide what to hold on to and what to let go of.

I happened to be going through a box I had stored away in the basement and found an old journal I wrote when I was in my twenties. I instantly became distracted from my sorting and clearing and took the time to read.  Oh the memories.  There were moments I had totally forgotten about, things God did during that time that were nothing short of miraculous. Just reading my journal stirred my faith.

We face many challenges throughout our lives. Circumstances bring joy and sorrow, discouragement and hope.  In the Old Testament  (I Samuel 7:12) we read,  “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.”  It was a common practice in the Bible to place stones of rememberance in the places where God moved.   This is a wonderful practice for us to put into place today.  My stone of rememberence comes in the form of notes all throughout my Bible that mark Scriptures that God has used to speak to me at times when I needed to hear from Him.  Also, I have kept journals over the years for myself and for my kids that record victories I and my family have had.

Going through the process of packing up my home, purging and packing is a perfect picture of the process we have to go through on a regular bases in life.  We have to take our experiences and decide what we will carry with us and what we need to let go of.  If we try to hold on to everything that has hurt, discouraged or disappointed us our lives will become cluttered and overwhelming.  Every day we have to decide to let go and move forward.

On the flip side, it is so important to take the time to remember the victories, the joys and moments that we have heard the voice of God.  It’s these memories that will stir our faith and give us the courage to move forward.  Just like Samuel, as we look back on these moments we will be able to say, “Till now the Lord has helped us.”  How much easier will it be to believe He will help again?

Whether it’s a journal, notes in your Bible or your own blog…Don’t forget to remember.