Don’t Forget to Remember

By Julia Charleston

As I reflect on my life, I can see that God has held my hand since I was a little girl. Even before I believed in Him, He has always believed in me- known and loved me. My life has been filled with adversity, which God has walked me through, holding my hand, and leading me down the road to THE abundant life He promises each of us.

I began my relationship with Jesus back in 2001. My son, Rob, introduced me to Him when he was going through a difficult time. We had an argument, which quickly escalated to aggression. Rob was in a lot of pain, and I didn’t know how to make the pain go away. It was a confusing time for us. I went to bed that night, praying and crying myself to sleep. “God,” I prayed. “If you are real, I need help. Please send help.”

The next morning, Rob reached out to an 8th-grade teacher, who invited us to church, where Rob and I gave our lives to the Lord. I knew in my heart God heard my cries the night before and sent help through a teacher, of all people.

I remember being hungry and thirsty for knowledge, wisdom, community, and fellowship in those early days as a young believer. Falling in love with the Lord, being in awe of everything my eyes now saw through the lens of faith – sweet, child-like faith.

As life goes on and years pass by – we become comfortable; complacent. We forget the awe and wonder of God that once was and settle into mediocrity. Gaining knowledge, memorizing scripture, praying, getting involved in bible studies and leadership roles; thinking we are moving closer to heaven through our works.

When (not if) a crisis attacks our lives and threatens to take us down, we somehow forget everything we learned. Life turns upside down, and we can’t make sense of our tragic circumstances. The lens of our faith becomes dusty and dirty, and our view becomes skewed.

“Remember the wonders He has performed.” Psalm 105:5 NLT

At some point, someone or something jogs our memory as we look back to that child-like faith where awe and wonder not only fill our eyes but also penetrate our hearts. God gently reminds us to remove the dust and dirt from our faith lenses so we can clearly see what we forgot to remember.

So we go back to the beginning, clinging to our young faith as baby Christians. We remember God’s wonders in our lives and the lives of others. Once again, we clearly see all He has done and will continue to do for us.

Then and only then will we REMEMBER to never forget.
Peace be with you.
~Julia