Remembering that Brings Contentment

Today I did a drop-off for work at the end of the day. I like when I'm asked to do those for multiple reasons. One of those reasons is that I can sometimes stop at the mall, or make it to Hawthorn Hollow (one of my very favorite places) on the way back before it closes. Today was one of those wonderful stop-at-Hawthorn-Hollow days. And so I walked. And as I walked, I reached a spot where I once spent one of the sweetest times with my Savior that I've ever had. So I sat in the spot, and spent some time remembering.

It was mid-March of 2011, and there I was, on my blanket, in the spot where I stood today. The emotional winter had been as long and harsh as the environmental winter. And on that day, as I enjoyed my God's creation, I felt my spirit thaw, just as the ground beneath me was coming to life again, too. And so I wrote, "... this gift of watching—and feeling—the earth as it thaws. As life seeps up into its bones. Birds chirping, grass wisping, branches blowing. Oh, how grateful I am for seasons. Seasons in weather... seasons in life. God, thank You for this gift that reminds me of your love and care. It seems I'm quite forgetful, and so I apparently need these reminders often. So I'm grateful to You for giving them. Cultivate in me a heart that more often sees the gifts You give and more often gratefully acknowledges—and receives—answered prayer."

I spent hours sitting on my blanket in that spot on that spring day 14 months ago. As I sat, I read some chapters of The Path of Loneliness, which is a great book by Elisabeth Elliot (and it's helpful for everyone, not just people who are lonely... I think Elisabeth has a lot to teach us). I read Psalm 37, and then wrote down what the Psalm teaches us about God and the implications of those things for us.

I enjoyed my time today remembering that day and what God did in my heart then. Since that day, God has worked in so many ways—through relationships, a car accident, a mission trip...

As I look back at my journal from that day, I see how timely this remembering is. After my time at Hawthorn Hollow today, I read my journal from that day, and couldn't help but explode out of gratefulness for answered prayer. I'd written, "God, you know my desire for a husband. My request is simple: Lord of my life, I want You. I want Your best for me. I want whatever it is that You desire for me. Help me to trust You."

Wow! Talk about answered prayer! Here I am in this season of enjoying engagement and planning a wedding to the man I love. And I've been finding lately that it's so important to take time to remember. 

to stop.

and look.

and take in all that God is doing. 

That's my hope for this season (and for this blog). I desire to slow down and remember to remember. I want to see what God is doing and thank Him for it. I want to see the gifts and let gratefulness reign, instead of seeing the flaws and letting discontentment reign. I hope to be more like Mary, who "treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Luke 2:19).