Just as I awoke one morning, memories of a certain time in my life flooded in. It was of a time when I intentionally hardened myself to the point that I was emotionally checked-out from the reality of my daily life. This memory was one of those in which I actually could feel, for a few seconds, the emotional prison that I was in. I remembered feeling lonely and angry at God and others for what I thought was an unfair life, one lesser than I thought I deserved. My reaction to life was so bad that I would daydream actively to forget the life I actually had. Those were dangerous daydreams, let me tell you. And I had not thought about that part of my past in a long time.
Afterwards, it was clear that God was at work here, working to reveal something to me. But as usual, I didn't get it right away. Soon after, a similar encounter with my heart's past revealed that God was reminding me how bad it once was and how much He has already healed me. It seems He brought the memories back so that I would be reminded of how much He can do. So often, at the first sign of trouble we forget what He has already done in our lives.
We are so much like the woman, whom during a famine, Elijah promised that her oil and flour would not run out. After the famine was over and she survived, she appears have forgotten what was already done for her by the way in which she reacted at the next sign of trouble.
So she said to Elijah, “What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!” 1 Kings 17:18
God wants all of us to be able to remember what He has done in our lives, otherwise we'll forget how far He has already delivered us. It encourages us to be faithful during future unknowns. Memories aren't always fun but they can serve a good purpose if we submit to God's purpose. Remembering, even if the memories are not so great, can be a really good thing spiritually.
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