Freerange Friday: What helps you Remember?

by Lilly Lewin

This is a week on the calendar is all about remembering.

Reformation Day on October 31^st. This year marks 500 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Door at Wittenberg

All Saints Day on November 1^st. We are invited to remember the saints of the church and those who have died in the past year and years gone by.

Day of the Dead November 2^nd (November 1-3 depending upon where you live) Celebrating and remembering those who have died, both family and friends.

What things help you remember?

Writing down a list.

Making notes in your phone. Maybe even setting an alarm on the phone or texting yourself so you won’t forget.

I need touchable, tangible reminders, like candles and cardinals and days on the calendar. I need smooth stones like in Joshua 4 to remind me that God has, and is doing big things in my life. Jesus uses all of these things to help me remember his love and care for me.

As I am writing this post, a cardinal is sitting in the tree outside my window. Cardinals have always been my symbol of hope. When I am uncertain, or having a bad day or a bad season, God has used this red bird as a reminder to me of his love and as a visual symbol of hope. I have neglected my bird feeder lately because of my feud with the squirrels so I haven’t seen much of my cardinals. So today I am grateful for this tangible reminder that God is with me and knows my needs.

I need people too! I need people to remind me that God is at work and that I am loved. My husband Rob is good at reminding me of this. And I have some good friends who help me see more clearly and ask me good questions. We need people to help us remember and to help us cut through the clouds and fog when we get too busy to see things clearly or when life gets too crazy. We need friends to help us remember God’s love.

Often, I need to take time to look back at my calendar, and my photos in my phone to remember what has been going on. Because I take a lot of photos, I can use these as visual reminders of all that has happened in the last few months and use this a prayer of reflection, thanking Jesus for the people and places that he has used to bring joy in my life and also to remind me that I might be doing way too much! And it might be time to slow down!

What things help you remember?

What things remind you of what God is doing in your life?

Sometimes we need touchable, tangible reminders in our life that God is at work and that we are still loved.

What things does Jesus use in your life to help you remember his care and love?

Take some time to consider this. And if you haven’t ever thought about a tangible symbol of God’s love for you, like a Cardinal, then be willing and be open and ask God to show you. Take time to notice this week what God uses to remind you of God’s love.

Who are the Saints in your life you’d like to remember?

Who are the people in your life that have impacted you? Who are the people you’d like to remember?

Living or dead. And maybe you didn’t meet them or know them personally, but through your reading or through a podcast, you’ve come to appreciate them and they have encouraged you on your journey of faith. Eugene Peterson would be one on my list, and CS Lewis and Brene Brown just to name a couple of writers who have impacted my life.

Make a list of these people.

• If the person is still living, write, text or call them and thank them for impacting you.
• Spend some time praying for that person.
• Find a quote or a picture of them and sit with this and allow God to remind you of how they have impacted your life.

Story telling.

Talk about and remember impactful people with a friend or around your table with friends and family. Take time to tell why this person has impacted you or why he or she is important in your life.

Take time to remember family members that impacted your life and tell these stories to others. I love sharing stories of my grandparents with my kids.

Stories help us remember and can remind us of what God is doing and has done in our lives.

Find out more about a saint or a person of faith.

Take time to investigate someone you’ve wanted to know more about and ancient saint or a current one. Someone like Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, or St. Hilda.

Pick someone to learn more about during the month of November. You could do this as a family, or as a small group and have a story telling time at the end of the month. Let each person choose a “saint” or just choose one as a group. Share why this person is important to you or what you learned that you didn’t know before!

Prayer Station Idea:

Find a fish net and lay it out on a table. Ribbon or yarn(wool) in many colors. Cut lengths of ribbon and have small scissors for participants to use to cut more. Participants will pick a color that reminds them of a person who has helped them connect with God. And they will tie the ribbon on the fish net and pray for that person or thank God for that person. Then they will take another ribbon in a color that reminds them of someone they would like to impact with God’s love. And use this ribbon as a reminder to pray for that person. (based on Fisher’s of People, Matthew 4:19)

Who has helped you know God’s love? What person has helped grow and connect with Jesus?

PICK A COLOR of Ribbon that reminds you of that person and tie it on to the net. Pray for that person and thank God for them.

Who do you know who needs to be caught in the net of God’s love and go beyond their ordinary life into a life of abundance in Jesus?

Pick a color of ribbon that reminds you of that person and pray for that person. Take home a ribbon to remind you to continue to pray for that person.

It’s never too late to take time to remember. Take some time this week, this month to remember the people that have impacted you and helped you know God. Take time this week, this month to remember that good things God has done and is doing in your life and be thankful. Ask God to give you tangible reminders and Remember that you are loved.

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