Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles, and the judgements he has uttered,
O offspring of his servant Abraham,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones. (Psalm 105:4–6 NRSVA)
One of the greatest responsibilities and joys in my life is being a mother. I have two young kids: one girl and one boy. They really are the treasure of my life. However, our journey to being parents was anything but easy. My husband and I experienced some difficulties and losses when trying to start our family. It was a dark and discouraging season, and yet, we made it through. Now, we have two sweet kids on Earth and two sweet kids in Heaven.
But if I’m honest, despite the struggle to become a mom, I sometimes forget I prayed for a long time to have a child to hold. I get distracted and overwhelmed and frazzled. I feel burdened at times being a parent, being met with constant pressures and wants, cries and pleas, always with a child tugging on my sleeve. But then I remember, life wasn’t always like this. There was a time when I didn’t have someone to care for. There was a time when I didn’t have someone to tend to. There was a time when I cried out to God much like Abraham asking for a child, only to be answered with a “not yet.”
And so, I often – more than I care to admit – need to pause and remind myself what God has done. I remind myself he is Provider, Covenant Maker, Promise Keeper. He is trustworthy in every season: good, bad, ugly. I’ve also found it can be hard to remember and recognize the good things God has done while I am simultaneously keeping lists of every minuscule thing that has gone wrong or hasn’t happened in my life. We are all so quick to remember God’s actions when they don’t serve us but quick to forget when they do.
This season, let’s remember what God has promised and what God has fulfilled, not only in our own lives but in the collective Church. God made a promise to his people that he will never leave us nor forsake us. He has promised to show up and to provide for us. We are united with him, grafted into his family as a permanent addition.
I am grateful for the season of Lent, as it causes me to stop and pause, to remember and to reflect on the works of our wonderful Creator. It causes me to seek the Lord, to dig in and recount the works of his hands, to remind myself why he chose me to be part of his Kingdom. Oh, may we never forget what he has done for us.
Danelle Schlichenmayer serves as the director of Elementary Ministry at Century Baptist Church in Bismarck, North Dakota. She and her family love to be in the great outdoors.
