As I shared in my last column, I have busted my tail planing lumber and sanding this week. We finally got time Saturday to put the wood up, but for some strange reason, we ran out of boards. I knew I had carefully calculated how many we needed, and I worked hard all week to reach that goal. So, when we ran out, I was rattled and perplexed.
We stopped working and I drove to the barn to get more lumber to clean up. As I got back to the planer shed and began unloading, I quickly realized why we ran out of wood—I forgot to bring it into the new house! There, looking back at me, was the missing stack, with only a few boards left to be sanded. It was the exact amount we needed to finish.
Not only did we have enough, but I had completely forgotten that we had exactly what we needed to finish the job. I got so wrapped up in the moment, consumed by what I thought was reality, that I failed to acknowledge the boards were already finished.
I’ve often wondered why the Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt after Moses freed them from slavery. They saw God’s miracles through all ten plagues. They walked on dry land while the Red Sea stood on either side of them. God provided water from a rock in the wilderness. Manna appeared and nourished them for years in the desert.
And yet, they forgot all God had done.
And yet, we forget all God has done. Just like I forgot the wood was finished and got caught up in the stress of the moment, we forget all the instances when God has shown up and proven himself faithful.
Take a moment and think about all the times God has proven himself faithful. Think of all the times you cried out and he heard you. All the moments when you didn’t know what to do. Blessings when you deserved cursings. Favor when you should have received demotion. Joy even when sorrow tried to overtake.
This week, learn from my moment of forgetfulness and don’t forget all his goodness in your life—past present and future. Don’t let the frustration of the moment steer you off course.
I would love to hear about God’s faithfulness in your life.
Write a comment and share some ways you fondly remember his faithfulness.
Oh, how easily it can happen to all of us Ms. Christy. We get so wrapped up in a current situation (in the midst of what’s happening now) that we seem to forget all that God has brought us through it the past. This “spiritual amnesia” is often the very thing that robs us of our joy, if we let it. It isn’t easy to do, and like Paul, I’m the chief sinner sometimes, but failing to stop the instant that we feel our joy slipping away and remembering that God has carried us through much deeper waters than this has caused us to miss the blessing awaiting us in the moment. Another great post ma’am. And your ceilings? OMGoodness! They are incredible! Thank you for sharing the beauty of your home with us. Prayers that it is filled with love, joy, peace, and happiness for many generations to come.
You’re always such an encouragement to me, J.D. And thank you for your kind words.