Remember...

"But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today" Deuteronomy 8:18

"Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past" Deuteronomy 32:7

One of the things that I think we miss on sometimes as Christians is the act of remembrance. Within the church as a whole I think we do a fine job, we celebrate communion to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us, we gather each week on the same day to remember the Sabbath. But what about within the context of our own lives? Do we remember those times that God reached in and intervened? Or do we casually forget them a few weeks later? I think it's important to remember what God has done for us- it gives us hope and encouragement for the future. It gives us a testimony- something important to share with everyone around us so that they too can know how God cares for His people.

As I sat down at the computer this morning, I was thinking about how I went to bed last night not feeling so good. I'm at the beginnings of a touch of a cold I think, and last night by bedtime, I really was not feeling great, and during my prayer time, I did take a minute to ask God to keep me going and give me the energy I need to still be the mom I need to be while enduring a cold. At the same time, I thanked him for the timing. Colds are necessary, they are part of the process of giving the body immunity, and I understand that, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Anyway, I thanked God that I didn't come down with a cold last week when I was really looking forward to the conference. I thanked God that it is really before the holiday season, so that hopefully I will just be able to look forward to them. So I wake up this morning with a touch of cold symptoms, but nothing severe. My throat is tickling, I have a touch of a sniffle, but I don't immediately feel like I'm ready to crawl back into bed. I have a spark, and I am so grateful for that. But that led me to remembering other things that God has done for us in the past, and I thought that I need to remember these things.

I remember the time that God took care of a debt for us. And I'm not talking about just a few hundred or even thousand dollars. I'm talking about over $90,000. According to the state of Wisconsin, Andy owed years of back taxes from his defunct business. Sales tax, which he didn't even collect, but they said he owed. Since we didn't have the paperwork to back this up, we simply had to owe it. There was nothing we could do about it except start the process of paying it off. They started garnishing Andy's meager wages, and we struggled, but there was nothing to be done about it. At the time, our church began a series on giving. As a church we were planning on buying our building so that we could grow and expand, but that was going to take money, and we all took a good hard look at finances, and we made pledges towards our monthly giving. We looked at our finances, and even though we couldn't really afford to give, we chose an amount that was above our means and pledged it, praying that God would come through for us and help us to meet that pledge. And of course, you know where this is going by now. Just a short while later, we received a statement in the mail stating that an error had been corrected, we were found to have paid the full amount owed to the state for back taxes- and we'd even overpaid a bit and were due a small refund! Just like that, God wiped away $90,000.

As amazed as we were at the time, I'm even more amazed to remember that and think on that. I think people look at their financial troubles, and don't talk to God about them. I know I feel that any financial mess we end up in is my fault. Bad debt and too much credit is my fault, and I don't talk to God about it, because He shouldn't have to bail me out of bad decisions. But then I remember what He has already done for us. It literally was a miracle that God took care of that debt for us. And he can do the same today- not just for us, but for any of his children who seek His face and ask Him for help.

Another area that I am remembering this morning regards Andy's job. Twice. I will never forget the week that Andy was living in a nightmare. We were working on the HS musical and it was our tough week- he had taken two days off of work, and we had two long days of working at the school, polishing up the show. At the last minute, his boss went off on him and told him that he needed to make a choice over the musical or his job. It was a completely unfair statement, as he had approved Andy's involvement and the time off months prior. It was a horrible week. And then the day came where he had to miss one of those two days of musical work, because he was pretty much told that if he chose the musical, his job was over. My husband, the responsible provider, made the difficult choice and went to work. At the end of the day (horrible, horrible at school for me, btw.) his boss drove him home, dropped him in the driveway and fired him. Seriously. We had just moved into our home, which was more expensive to live in for us, so immediately, all these thoughts went through our minds, and Andy immediately hit the computer, looking for a new job.

45 minutes after Andy had been home, and we were dealing with the shock of being fired, my parents drop in. I seem to recall it was really for no reason, they just felt like popping in to see the kids. We told them what had happened, and right away, my Dad said that we needed to pray about it, so we did. We all spent some time together praying for the situation, spent a short time together, and then they left to continue with their day. 1 1/2 hours after he had been home, Andy decided that he needed to call one of the guys he had been working with on the job. It was a guy from a different company, but Andy had been his go-to contact for the job, and Andy felt that he needed to let this guy know what happened so he could be prepared. That was a God-led phone call, because after Andy talked to him, the phone rang 15 minutes later. Andy could start working for them in two weeks- could he come in and fill out his paperwork? God provided quickly on that one! Andy was fired, with no prospects, and two hours later he had a new job with a company that he really respected and admired. God proved to us that he does indeed hear the cries of his children and answer prayer. It was a fantastic thing to call my parents up and share the news.

And I can tell you that when Andy started working for that company, he had no idea how wonderful it was going to be. He loves working for them. He enjoys the job, and his bosses are a pleasure to work for. Yet last year, at this time, work prospects for the company were looking grim, and he was told he could expect a six month lay-off. There was no way that we were going to be able to live on that, so Andy took another job with a different company, very regretfully. That new job was a nightmare. He worked his fingers to the bone for very little pay, and the carrot that they dangled to get him to take the job was quickly taken away. There would be no raise, no promotion, and he was on call all the time. It was nothing short of a nightmare, and the more he worked, the more into debt we went, we couldn't afford to live on his rate in pay. We prayed a lot during this time, so it shouldn't have been a surprise when his former boss called him up in late March, asking if he was happy with his company, and would he consider coming back. Um, we didn't have to think about that one! Andy returned back to the job her truly enjoys, and so far there is no end in sight. We have been blessed abundantly through this job, and I know that God will continue to do so. He loves his job, and has especially enjoyed all the opportunities he's had to share God with his co-workers.

It's important to remember. It's so important to look back and remember the things that God has done for us, because He ALWAYS sees us through. He hears His children when they call, and wants, more than anything, to hear our prayers. He wants us to ask and to seek Him and His face. Remember how He has blessed you, because he wants you to share those blessings with those around you.