The Habit of Remembering
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Psalm 77:11-12
In December, Redeemer School focuses on the habit of remembering. Some of the aspects of this habit that we cultivate are:
- Actively listening to lessons and stories
- Connecting what we are learning now to previous lessons and knowledge
- Using strategies to help us recall information
We do not know all that we have been taught, but only what we are able to remember— showing us why this is such a foundational habit! Charlotte Mason said, “Much that we have learned and experienced is not only retained in the storehouse of memory, but is our available capital, we can reproduce, recollect upon demand. This memory which may be drawn upon by the act of recollection is our most valuable endowment.” (Vol. 1, pg. 154-155)
Psalm 77:11-12 points us to the importance of this habit in our lives. How often do the thoughts of our mind produce anxiety and despair? We can focus on all we think we need to do and fail to remember all God has done. Because we’re prone to forget, we must train our hearts and minds to remember.
We do not remember anything we have not first fixed our attention upon. We can fix the gaze of our mind on God’s infallible and holy Word that is filled with memories of who God is and how He works. Remembering is not just about the repetition of facts or the regurgitation of words. it’s about “whole mind” memory. God’s Word can touch our emotions and ignite connections and memories from our own lives. We can see the scenes in our mind’s eye, and from those scenes, we can pull memories with our whole mind: sights, sounds, smells, and emotions.
As we enter the advent season, let’s use His Word to help us remember God’s faithfulness, steadfast love, power, and the promises that He kept. Let’s use His Word to help us remember the nature of Jesus’ humble birth and the gracious gift of our salvation. Let’s use this time to remember with our “whole minds” how He’s been with each of us through our trials and how we have seen Him at work in our lives.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:2-5
