If you have ever been to one of my training seminars for speakers, you know we say that one tool every presenter should use is a story file. In the presentation world, this is just a simple word document or a place where you collect all of your stories. When it is time to put together a new presentation or update an existing one, you will have an abundance of inventory from which to choose.
In my quest to be more open in my life journey, I had this thought. What if, when we have times of doubting, we had a file that is a collection of our own evidence, proof from our life experiences, of God’s presence and love. You know, those little “God winks” that let us know he is around and helping us. What if we collected them all in one place so that we can reflect on them when we need them the most?
How meaningful would it be to start a journal of answered prayers in your life? We love those moments when they happen, but what if we could relive them later on, too? We often take for granted some of those moments when life is good and things are going our way.
Garth Brook’s famous song lyrics remind us that “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” What if you also kept track of unanswered prayers. In retrospect, we sometimes want something and cannot see the disadvantage that getting it would bring us. When we are down, having a collection of these might remind us that although we couldn’t see it at the time, things could have been worse if that prayer had been answered.
I remember being heartbroken in my twenties when I asked a woman to marry me and she said, “No.” At the time, it was devastating. Years later, I could clearly see why it had been a great gift not to have that prayer answered in the way that I had hoped. God knew better than I.
Why not get a journal today just for your answered and unanswered prayers. It could be a meaningful legacy for your children or grandchildren.
Thank God for truth, love, and laughter,
Darren
A wonderful reminder. We did this when our children were young. What a treasure to go back a decade later and remember God’s faithfulness and the answers to those prayers.
What a marvelous idea! We need to be reminded that God knows better than we do!
Thank you, Darren for this wonderful reminder. As much as I write it is sometimes difficult to find the time for these reminders. A reminder is wonderful thing in the midst of all our busyness!
Blessings and Continued Success, r
I journal almost every day. I’ve got volumes of books describing answered prayers, shed tears, joyous celebrations, confusing quagmires, ridiculous rants, and senseless musings. One of the most frequently used words in the Old Testament is “remember” because God did so many glorious things for His people that they tended to forget. I don’t want to forget. I want to remember. (I just now rediscovered your God blog. I didn’t realize you had written so much. Very very cool!)