One Secret to Remembering God’s Goodness

Years ago, in my early twenties, I bought my first new car. I remember feeling all grown up one day while gathering my things to go visit friends just a few miles away. I remember taking great care with my appearance and feeling very in control as I got behind the wheel of my spotlessly clean Honda.

Things changed quickly when on my way, an awful sound started occurring when I braked. It was piercing. Instead of pulling into my friend’s driveway looking all calm and collected in my new car, I literally came to a screeching halt.

My friend happened to be mechanically inclined so he investigated. Turns out, a pebble had been kicked up by my tire and lodged itself inside a metal shield that surrounded my rotor. My friend was incredulous, explaining that there was a one in a million chance that a pebble would ever lodge there.

For years, that pebble sat on my dashboard as a daily reminder that nothing ever has to go as planned. I am never in charge. When a plan works, it is a gift of God.

That day started me on a journey of remembering. Like the pebble that sat on my dash (I wish I still had it), I have a coffee cup from 20 years ago that I still grab on difficult days because God saw me through a hard time when I bought that mug. I sip my coffee, remembering.

I also keep thank you journals. One always sits with my Bible and prayer notebook. I open it regularly and record line-items of things I am thankful for from the prior day. I am amazed at how quickly I forget what happened even just yesterday. I think there is nothing to write, then I remember so much!

If I didn’t ever pause to remember, the memory of God’s goodness would be gone forever.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  (James 1:17)

In the Bible, God had His people build monuments of rocks so they would remember. Children would ask their parents, “Why is that pile of rocks there?” and the parents would get to hear the amazing story of God’s goodness to them in the midst of hardship. (Joshua 4:5-7; Joshua 4:21-22)

We need to do the same.

I don’t have piles of rocks around my home, but I have items like my coffee cups and assorted mementos passers by would consider a nick-knack. No. Those are remembrances of God’s goodness to Laurie. And then there are my journals filled with pages of line-items. Just pick one up and read the lists.

Someday my children will read my thank you journals. And they will hear of the goodness of the Lord.

Recently I have been noticing close calls.

• I step off a curb and almost twist my ankle. When is the last time I thanked God for walking to class safely?
• I am awakened in the night with a nerve on fire in my leg. I get out of bed to walk it off and my right foot is actually curling inward. In about five minutes all is fine but in those minutes I wonder. When is the last time I thanked God for the ability to walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night?
• This week I approached my car in the middle of running errands on a busy day and there is a screw in the sidewall of my right rear tire. Plain as day, it almost appeared to be waving at me. Instantly, my plans changed. Off to Costco I go instead. When is the last time I thanked him for a successful errand?
• Recently my daughter pulled out of her parking space in a Publix parking lot. Boom. A lady backed into her. When is the last time I thanked God when I backed out of a parking space?
  

So last week I upped my game and decided to pick a day and thank God all day long for literally everything.

Thank you that my legs work as I go downstairs to make coffee. (They didn’t need to.) Thank you that the coffee machine turned on. (It didn’t need to.) Thank you that my car started. (It might not have.) Thank you that my computer turned on. (It didn’t need to.) Thank you that my son is alive. (No one is promised another day.) Thank you for school buses. (We are not promised one.)

You get the idea.

I had the best day! I saw the blessings more than the hard stuff. My eyes were more attuned to the gifts instead of the problems.

Try it.

God is blessing you all day long. Don’t miss it. And because He loves you and He wants to teach you about His goodness.

Don’t make him kick up a pebble along the road that lodges against your rotor to teach you to see His blessings. {wink}

Picture Explanation: This week I feature assorted photos of good moments to thank God for. The stone pictured this week was pressed into the palm of my husband’s hand as he climbed into the car to drive to a new job. “Always remember,” I whispered. His eyes moistened.

© 2017 by Oaks Ministries. All rights reserved.