5 MINUTE FRIDAY - REMEMBER

Here it is Friday again and time for 5 Minute Friday where we write for 5 minutes (no editing or fretting about perfection) on one word. Then we all link up here. So, let's get started!

I love the Old Testament. It's full of very exciting, interesting and sometimes, downright bizarre stories. It makes me gasp, cry and laugh out loud at times. The people in those stories are so real and flawed and yet God used them anyway.

The one thing I always sort of puzzled about was God's insistence that people build little alters or mounds. I kept thinking as I read - what does a pile of rocks do for anyone.

But as always, God has a purpose in His directions to His people. Those piles of rocks were memorials - we see them all over the Bible. God asked Abraham, Moses and various others to build an alter or a memorial after He did something in their lives - gave direction, provided food or water, protected them.

Why? Was it some kind of ego trip for God or something? Nope - it's because our memories are short. Sometimes, really short.

Right after the children of Israel cross the Red Sea - I mean we're talking a few days at most - they come to a spring of water. They are dying of thirst (since it's a desert, that's not just an expression either), and are bitterly (excuse the pun here) disappointed to find the waters of Mara, well, bitter. Immediately, they start to complain and tell Moses they were better off in Egypt and why did he lead them out here to die next to water they can't even drink. (this is a recurring them - not the water but the "we were better off in Egypt" thing).

Um, excuse me - didn't you JUST walk across a sea on dry ground? Didn't God just defeat the mightiest army on the planet for you without breaking a sweat? Heck, right before that, God got them out of slavery that had bound them for hundreds of YEARS - and the people who enslaved them gave them all of their gold and valuables as a send off.

But God can't help you out with a some drinking water. Really???

I can point my finger all I want at the Israelites. I can sigh and roll my eyes at their short term memory loss. But am I any different?

How many times has God provided what I needed, when I needed it? The answer, in case you were wondering is A LOT. Yet, the next time something rolls around, how many times do I choose worry or fretting instead of faith and trust?

This is one of the reasons I blog. It's one of the reasons I journal. I wanted a written testament of God's goodness and His faithfulness because I too have a very short memory.

A few months ago, I was feeling a bit down and forgotten, so I decided to read over my blog from the beginning. I've been blogging since 2009. Anyway, as I read, tears streamed down my face as I was reminded once again of God's answers, His provision, His guidance, His amazing involvement in my life.

So, I guess God was on to something when He asked the Israelites to build memorials. He knew their memories were short. He knew they needed reminding to remember HIs faithfulness. Just like I need to stop and remember, too.

What do you do to remember how God's been good to you?

~ Blessings, Bronte

p.s. hop on over to Lisa Jo Baker's site and read other people's thoughts on the word "remember."