Have you ever misplaced your keys, then finally found them in the fridge? Have you pulled out your phone to do something important and end up lost in social media for 15 minutes completely forgetting why you got out your phone in first place? Have you ever felt fully convinced that you were going to start a new diet or organization plan and days or hours later gone right back to your old routine? I think we’ve all been there. It takes intentional effort to overcome our fleeting memory, busy lifestyles and comfortable routines.

This is why our all knowing God established plans for us to remember what is important. It’s hard to stick to a diet or organization plan if we don’t keep in mind why we are making the effort. The same is true with following God. To stay focused on God, we need to remember two things.

ONE – Why we are following God.

We are God’s children. God created us and we belong to Him.

God is perfect, knows everything, and promises to do what is best for us.

He sent His son Jesus to die for our sin and He rose from the dead 3 days later.

Because we know these truths, we can trust him.

Reminding ourselves of these truths every day helps us to not get distracted by our own plans. When we align our activities and decisions to the truth of God’s Word, we find God’s perfect plan for our life.

TWO –Remember what God has done.

In Joshua 4, God pushed back the waters of the Jordan river so the Israelites could cross over on dry land. After everyone had crossed, he asked them to build an altar of stones so they would remember what He had done for them and remember to tell future generations. Our generation does the same when we create statues or plaques to commemorate an event. We can put this into practice in our everyday life. You don’t have to carve a statue for your front lawn, just look for reminders or ‘souvenirs’ you can keep from events where you have seen God work in your life. If God healed you from a serious illness, keep the hospital bracelet. If God led you to a new place or on a mission journey, take a photo to hang on your wall. Our family buys or makes a Christmas ornament each year that represents a life event or something God did in our life that year. Now, our Christmas tree is a lifelong reminder of God’s goodness.

A few years back, our small church was planning a summer VBS. The theme was PANDAmania. A friend and I were beginning to make plans for VBS while driving to help a local community who had just been hit by a tornado. Our church leaders had expressed concern about having VBS that year because there wasn’t enough money in the budget. We felt conflicted. We strongly believed that VBS was something God wanted us to do and knew He could bring us the things we needed to make it work. We also wanted to respect the church leadership in doing what was financially best for the church.

We arrived at the location and began sorting through donations of food, clothing, and household items. Near the end of the day, I grabbed a sealed box and opened it up. Twelve brand new stuffed panda bears looked back at me. A similar box sat underneath it and opening it revealed twelve more identical pandas. These bears were very different from the mismatched, random collection of items we had been finding in bags and boxes throughout the day. They were special and I believe God placed them there just for us. I called my friend over and we stood amazed looking into these boxes. It felt like God was telling us that He could provide what we needed, anytime, anywhere. Not only did God provide what we needed, he provided more. Two or three pandas would have done the job. God chose to give us twenty-four AND each one came with a little baby panda on its back. Used pandas would have been OK, but the pandas God provided were brand new, clean, sealed in a box and set apart to be used to tell people about Him. We made a donation to the tornado fund and drove back home with our panda bears. We were excited to start planning and decorating our church for VBS. VBS was amazing that summer. God continued to provide what we needed in abundant and unexpected ways. He truly showed us the meaning of

Ephesians 3:20

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Now, one of those pandas sits in my craft room, reminding me daily of the way God speaks and provides. I’m not sure I really wanted to sift through tornado donations that day, but I felt like it was something God wanted me to do. I also learned when we follow God’s lead, many times we find answers to things we are concerned or praying about in the most unexpected places.

When we remember God’s faithfulness, it brings confidence that He can do it again. We learn how God speaks and how He works, so we recognize it more quickly the next time. We also begin to see connections of His faithfulness. He weaves trials and celebrations together to help us grow and build our lives towards His perfect plan. God will provide opportunity for others to see these “souvenirs of remembering”. When He does, make sure you tell the story. Our testimony is not only how we came to know Him, but also what He’s been doing since then.

Ephesians 3:20 panda photo