Don't Forget!

Today marked my last, "last day of class." This is the end of 14 "last day of classes" over the past 7 years and 14 semesters of college and university. My childhood best friend once asked if I was getting "a PhD or something" and the answer, unfortunately, was no. I told her I was spending 2 years at Bible college figuring out what to do with my life and then needed to next 5 years to get ready to do what I figured out!

This morning, I was was sipping my coffee and thinking that now that this long awaited moment had arrived, I needed commemorate it somehow! It seemed appropriate to take a few moments and thank God for all he has provided on this journey that is soon coming to a close. As I started to list a few obvious things that came to mind, God's faithfulness overwhelmed me like a flood. As I listed off one provision after another, I was reminded that He did provide every single thing that I needed over the past 7 years whether it was finances, relationships, comfort, strength, time, rest, endurance or for physical needs, just like He promised he would!

Next, my thoughts wandered to the beginning of this journey. It seemes natural, I guess, when you're near the end of something to think back to how it all started. The summer 2003 was when I was getting ready to head off to Bible school and it was also, ironically enough, (much like the last year) a rocky time for our family. At the end of the summer, we were told that he had been diagnosed with depression. The struggles he had been having for a number of months were finally beginning to make sense. I watched my invincible dad be broken and transparent and at that point in my life, it was the hardest thing I had seen. This morning I was looking through my journal from that time and early in the fall I had written:

"Thank you God that you are bringing my parents through this time... and for taking care of us. I think I'm taking this okay because I know that you are in control."

It seemed odd that I could say almost the exact same words now.

"Thank you God for bringing our family through this time and taking care of us. We will be okay because you are in control."

God showed himself faithful then, he continues to now, and since history tends to be a good indication of the future, I would be willing to bet- or better yet, I know- He will continue to be, whatever storm may come.

I'm such a forgetful person. If I don't make a to-do list, I forget all the things that must be done. If I don't take a list to the grocery store, I always forget at least one thing! If I don't take to remember all that He has done, I risk forgetting just how faithful and good He has been in my life, and that's not a risk I should be willing to take!