Reflection

I am sitting here reflecting on the past year.
Attempting to recall God's goodness to me in all of the seasons I have been in.
Striving to see back a whole year is almost impossible, sometimes all we can recall is God's goodness in just the day.

Reflection needs to happen more than just once a year.
Everyday
Thankfulness
Discipline

If you expect to just recall on a single day all that there is to consider you will miss so many things.

Two huge "God-sightings" happened yesterday in my life. Answers to prayers, met needs, that only God knew. I see it in my ministry all the time. I had to come home right away and write it in my Journal. I have one for life and one for my work with Radiant Hope. When I see it and when God shows up, I have to write it down. Right in that moment I must give careful consideration and recall even the smallest details. This then helps me grasp the miracle and never miss a moment of God's kindness taking shape as he is working in all the things.

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old." Psalm 77

Faithful then.
Faithful today.
Faithful in the future.

When life is hard the circumstances create a thick and heavy fog that is impossible to see through. Often times seeing God in those circumstances is really difficult. But that does not mean He is not there. Pray for more, more of him, ways to see. If you're like me you are looking for fireworks, wanting anything anything, but sometimes his tender voice is silent. Firework moments we never forget. Tender whispers we take for granted.

I have been challenged to look for the little things, look for God, see him working, write down all those moments. It has been the teeny tiny whisper from a friend that encouraged my heart or that answer to pray no one sees but me. I have lived through dark moments and met Jesus there again and again. He's on the move in your life and mine whether the burden is heavy or light. In order to trust him more and know him more deeply we have to reflect more often.

"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Hebrews 11

So write down those resolutions but don't hang too tight. You can plan your whole life but it's most likely not going to go that way. All the happenings of the year ahead won't be chance or completely by your hard work, but will be part of a bigger plan for your life and mine. Write the pieces of the puzzle down and you will see God. If that is seemingly impossible and you are in the midst of deep pain, find a faithful friend that will listen and help you see and recall all that is around you.

"He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful." Psalm 111

I promise that next year when the ball drops in 2020 your reflection will look different if you have spent time recalling everyday. Trust me, you will have a plethora of things you wouldn't have seen if you weren't looking....

"When it comes to remembering God’s faithfulness, we can be especially forgetful. One striking example of this is found in the book of Exodus, chapters 14 and 16. In the span of just a couple of chapters, we see the Israelites delivered from slavery and brought through the Red Sea, and then they are grumbling about not having food to eat.

We want to say to them, “Don’t you remember what God just did for you? The water stood up like two walls, and you walked through the Red Sea on dry ground! Don’t you think that the God who can do that is also capable of giving you food to eat? Trust him!”

And then, of course, we remember that we do the same sort of thing. God brings us through a trial, answers a prayer, and within a few days it’s almost forgotten. We’re already looking to the next struggle on the horizon and finding reasons to gripe and complain. 

We have to find ways of remembering God’s faithfulness.

Read here to find 6 ways to Recall and Remember:  https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/remember-his-goodness

Happy New Year Friends....