My #1 Way to Face Life and Remain Calm - Be Whole, Mom

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Experience His Calm by writing down His provisions.

The last few years have really stretched my ability to stay calm. We have been inundated with all forms of uncertainty. Things like instability, frustrations, and sicknesses have definitely done a number on my inner calm.

Even with the stresses of life, the Lord has continued to help me find solid ground in Him. And this is where I go to stay calm and carry on.

Remember to Remember

There is this fascinating theme that circulates through scripture. In the Torah and ESPECIALLY when the Israelites were walking through the desert, they experienced Yahweh’s might.

His provision and protection covered them, and then would just as quickly forget.

The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the LORD’S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” ~ Exodus 16:2-3

Here the Lord’s Might was shown with the parting of the Red Sea. Then they had some hunger pangs and quickly complained and whined.

I get it. I can totally whine.

It is easy to lose my calm. It is SO easy to experience the hand of God and some amazing provision of His. And, then, turn right around and doubt and question His ability to do it again.

So, what began to happen in scripture? We begin to see these reminders to remember God’s provision popping up here and there.

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way. He guided you in the desert for these 40 years.” ~ Deut. 8: 2

And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, ‘In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” ~ Joshua 4: 20-24

The regular reminder to remember “…that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t always remember. It is frustrating because when I finally do it’s like I was asleep and then I get jolted awake!

All of the things that I was worried about or fearing suddenly become minuscule. In comparison to the Hand of my Abba, nothing can stand.

Isn’t that the whole point?

So, the Lord showed me a wonderful way to remember His provision, which in turn keeps me calm when life feels crazy.

The Lord has made Himself known many times in my life, and after a handful of these events in the early days of our marriage, I read Joshua 4:21-22, and it struck me right in my heart:

In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.”

I wanted to have something tangible and true to tell my children in years and decades to come. My deepest desire is that they know how the Lord provided for us over and over again. I wanted them to know they can experience His calm because of His Sovereignty.

But, here I was, married, probably pregnant with our first child. I could barely remember a single event that the Lord enacted within the previous year, even though I was sure there were several.

This led to the obvious answer: WRITE IT DOWN.

So, I began to create my own “Stones of Remembrance” book.

My little black journal contains within it many of the most poignant and amazingly miraculous events that the Lord has accomplished in our life.

I wish I could say that it contains them all, but it doesn’t. My human mind still forgets at times to write down the wondrous events of the Journey. It frustrates me to forget all of the times that His Hand makes an appearance.

Why Does Remembering Change Anything?

It took me a while to realize the value of this book and what it could possibly do to help me stay calm. At first it was more of a “for God” kind of thing, but over the years it has become so much more.

As we walk through this life and continue to grow and mature, the Lord will call us to greater and more uncertain paths.

When we experience these times, seasons of uncertainty, insecurity, fearfulness, and testing, these are the times when we need these the most. We benefit from looking back to see how the Lord has provided before to remember that He will do it again.

[bctt tweet=”During hard times we benefit the MOST from looking back to see how the Lord has provided BEFORE to remember He’ll do it again.” via=”no”]

Since our Abba does not change and is the same yesterday, today, and forever, it is illogical to believe that He would provide at one point but is somehow limited in another. This is where we must choose to embrace the next rung of faith, and continue to trust our Abba’s good Will and provision for His Bride, even when we do not know how He is going to do it.

In Ancient Hebrew, the word faith is used not as a definition for a religion or belief system, but rather the essence of trusting God. Faith is to trust His goodness, faithfulness, and amazing character to continue to provide for His children, just as He has always done.

The word “faith” has been redefined over millenia. But, it seems to be returning to its original position and meaning in our day.

When we record the amazing ways that our Abba cares for us in our lives we build our faith to trust Him the next time that struggles and trials emerge.

[bctt tweet=”When we record the amazing ways that our Abba cares for us in our lives we build our faith to trust Him the next time that struggles and trials emerge.” via=”no”]

As the Lord has provided for you in the past, He will continue to provide in days to come. Life can be full of uncertainty, but we can always remain certain that He will provide a Way through.

When Times Get Tough, Remember His Past Provision

We need to remember who He is when life becomes the most unstable and unsure. When we remember God’s past help, we experience peace and calm in Him.

Ask Him to remind you of the ways that He has provided in the past. And write them down in your own Stones of Remembrance book.

Keep this on hand to read and re-read, both for yourself, and your children. He will slowly but surely remove doubt and fear, while He builds and strengthens your faith.

Our Abba is more than capable to provide. Now, let’s do our part to remember this simple fact of faith.