Recently,
a friend from my youth emailed me a picture of our junior high track team. The
grainy black-and-white snapshot showed a vaguely familiar group of teens with
our two coaches. I was instantly swept back in time to happy memories of
running the mile and the half-mile in track meets. Yet even as I enjoyed
remembering those days, I found myself thinking about how easily I had
forgotten them and moved on to other things.
As we
make our way on the journey of life, it is easy to forget places, people, and
events that have been important to us along the way. Time passes, yesterday
fades, and we become obsessed with the concerns of the moment. When this
happens, we can also forget just how good God has been to us. Perhaps that is
why David remembered as he wrote, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is
within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all
His benefits” (Ps. 103:1-2).
Never is this remembrance more needed than when the heartaches of life crowd in on us. When we are feeling overwhelmed and forgotten, it’s important to recall all that He has done for us. In remembering, we find the encouragement to trust Him in the present and for the future.
