Remembrance

     How many things a day do you think we forget? A week? A year?  I used to pride myself on my memory because when it comes to events, occasions, important dates or anything schedule-related, I'm like a human calendar...it's a little ridiculous and potentially creepy to those who don't know me.  Yet ever since I set out for this journey for Rome, back to the prep work in the states, the Lord has been gently convicting me of how easily we (or at least I) forget.  With today marking the 70th anniversary of the day "which will live in infamy," I've noticed a few lamenting how our generation no longer remembers the sacrifices from those before us or the significance to this day.  First it saddened me because I see the validity to that tragic thought, but then it got me thinking about how much more we forget about our God.
   
    Jesus said, "...do this in remembrance of me." -Luke 22:19
    Paul said, "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved..." -1st Cor. 15:1-2a
    Moses said, "Remember this day in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place..." -Exodus 13:3
    The Lord said, "...tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments...so you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God." -Numbers 15:38,40
    David said, "Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered.." -1st Chronicles 16:12
    Solomon said, "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth..." -Ecclesiastes 12:1
    God said, "Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; i am God, and there is none like me." -Isaiah 46:8-9

      Notice a theme?  The list could go on and on.  There's a legitimate reason that God told the Israelites to set aside holy days and times for festivals...they were to be a time of remembrance, of fresh rejoicing or thanksgiving for how God provided or made Himself known in a difficult time.  Until last year I used to read about the forgetfulness of the Israelites who saw God performing these incredible miracles in the desert, and not understand how they could possibly forget His love and faithfulness.  However, as I was preparing to come here and needed to see God do the impossible to make it happen, I realized I'm no better than the Israelites.  Even today, the forgetfulness is something to battle.  When I have a month where little support comes in, instead of immediately going to the Lord knowing He will provide because He always has, I start to worry.  When I meet someone who breaks my heart because he/she seems so far away from knowing Christ, instead of remembering the 'impossible' conversions by the power of the Spirit, I get discouraged.  Praise the Lord for when I am faithless, He is faithful still!

      God has been gracious enough to encourage me in my ministry here over the past few days by letting me see His work in tangible ways.  Everything in Italy seems to take forever (probably because it does), so often 10.5 months doesn't possibly seem like enough time to make a difference.  That's me putting God in a box though, and forgetting (again) that He has brought me here for a purpose.  One of my students I tutor in English started asking me questions during our conversation lesson about my beliefs.  For whatever reason He wanted to drill me with questions about my faith and why I believe what I do, as well as hear differences from the church I know to the Catholic church and school he's experienced.  That's totally and only God.  When I was looking over an old prayer journal, I saw how the Lord had answered (and provided for) three of my four running requests from that summer in 2010.  I'm sure if I looked over all the things that had to come together last year for me to get here, I wouldn't even be able to keep up writing down all the ways God was faithful.  Yesterday I had a great lunch and hangout time with a girl I've been praying for since August, and I'm seeing how God is honoring and growing an unlikely friendship in a way that can only be attributed back to Him.

     While I'm away from family and friends at home, I truly am thankful for this holiday season.  Since the week of Thanksgiving the Lord has been giving me blessed reminders of all I have to be thankful for, all the reasons I can give Him praise no matter the circumstance or season of life.  We took Communion together around the lunch table on Thanksgiving, and I like how it was incorporated into our meal with a sense of normalcy because remembering what Christ did for us should be a constant part of my daily life.  I finally got a picture of our whole team together (yay, holidays), so now you can have faces for the team when you pray for us!

Thanksgiving, and my Rome family :)