Dear Parents,

The other night, I was talking with my younger brother about a few games we used to play together when we were growing up. I even pulled up the soundtrack of one of the racing games we were talking about, and as I did this, a shockingly powerful wave of warm feelings rushed over me. I was filled with such gladness and even felt a deeper affection for and connectedness to my brother as a result of our reminiscing.

Our memories are so powerful. They have the ability to affect our feelings, behaviors, and our perception of ourselves and our world. They enable us to build relationships with others and help shape our desires and affections. But our natural tendency as humans is toward forgetfulness.

I love this quote by David Horner: “No wonder remembering is such a central theme in Scripture. God knows the gravitational pull of human awareness, which draws us inexorably toward forgetting. God’s people are always in danger of losing their memory, forgetting who they are and whose they are.[...] If we don’t attend to God’s words and works we lose our delight in them. We lose our way, we lose perspective. We forget who we are and whose we are.”

This week, I just want to encourage you to take time to remember… Remember what God has done in your life-- how He brought you from darkness into everlasting light and life. Remember His character-- His love. His faithfulness. His mercy. His justice. Remember what He has done for you in the past and continues to do even now. Remember who you are because of Christ’s finished work on the cross. 

This is a crucial part of answering the call of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, to love God with all that we are and to teach our children about Him and His ways. Let the gift of remembrance create a deeper affection for and intimacy with the Lord. It’s out of this place of intentional remembrance that your love for Him will grow. And it’s from here that you will be better equipped to show your kids who He is.

An idea for the whole family

 Joshua 4:5-7 says, “Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

This week as a family, I encourage you to sit down and create some type of physical memorial (if you haven’t already). Maybe it’s a jar of remembrance, or a wall, or journal and have everyone who can share something God has done for them in the past. Or brainstorm how God has worked in your lives as a family. Use it as an opportunity to share your testimony with your family. Continue to add to this physical memorial over time, using it to show your kids the awesomeness of God, and to dig up and cast out any fear, anxiety, or doubt that may have taken root in your own heart. May our hearts burn for Him with a hotter, brighter flame as we intentionally and regularly remember who God is, what He has done, and who we are in Him.

In Christ,

Jennifer Boegner

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’” -1 Samuel 7:12