Forgetting

Last month I traveled to Germany to attend the ReachGlobal Europe Conference. It was wonderful to be with dear friends one last time, to be able to say goodbyes to colleagues spread across the continent. I loved the opportunity to stay up late talking, to enjoy adventures in a new town, to not worry about cooking my own meals. God did a mighty work in my heart during that time as well. There were new pieces of affirmation about the decision to move back to MN. Friends helped confront some lies that had been getting far too much attention. Waking up to the beauty of the German countryside was wonderfully refreshing. There was healing for unmet expectations. Hope began to spring anew in my heart. Dreams began to take shape.

Tonight I found myself struggling. My time with ReachGlobal has officially come to an end. Though I spent last school year in MN, I'm facing more changes and adjustments as the realities of this new stage of life set in. This isn't a small step...some days it feels like a leap off a cliff. There are many pieces that are shifting.

As I drove home, I realized that I've allowed the past two weeks to overshadow the previous one. I'd already let go of and forgotten what God did in Germany. Somehow the present felt more relevant and real than the past...or even the future.

What is the best way to remember? How can I hold on to truths that God has so clearly shown me?

I think of how often God reminded Israel to remember and how the same holds true for me. I need to find ways to remember. Tonight it meant turning off the radio during my car ride home to spend time remembering. I thought back to what happened in Germany and about how I lost sight so quickly with the events of a new school year beginning. Perhaps next time it won't take me two weeks to realize I've forgotten. Perhaps there's some way to create a stone of remembrance.

It's worth it to remember.