Yesterday I finally gave in to the gentle invitation of the hammock. It calls to me all week, yet I seldom take the time to climb in and simply be still.
As a cool breeze drifted across my face, memories came just as gently. I was a little girl again, holding my mother's hand as we descended the basement stairs of our small-town library.
I would carefully choose a stack of children's books, then hurry home, eager to lose myself in stories that carried me to places far beyond my own neighborhood.
There was something wonderfully peaceful about those afternoons.
The quiet adventure of reading soothed my heart much like the slow sway of that hammock beneath the whispering Montana aspens.
As I reflected, my thoughts turned to the goodness of God.
The psalmist writes: "Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works on man's behalf! He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the waters on foot—come, let us rejoice in him." — Psalm 66:5-6
God has always invited His people to remember. Remember His faithfulness. Remember His provision. Remember the impossible moments when He made a way where there seemed to be none.
Lauren Daigle captures that truth beautifully in her song Remember: "I remember You have always been faithful to me... Even when my own eyes could not see, You were there. Always there."
When life feels overwhelming, our memories become anchors. Looking back reminds us that the God who carried us yesterday has not changed today. His faithfulness in the past gives us confidence for whatever lies ahead.
So perhaps this week you don't need a hammock. Maybe you simply need a quiet moment to pause, breathe deeply, and remember. Count the ways God has carried you, comforted you, forgiven you, and loved you. You'll discover that His faithfulness has been gently rocking you all along.
Closing Prayer Father, thank You for the gift of remembering. When fear crowds my heart or life becomes too busy, remind me of the countless ways You have been faithful through every season. Help me rest in the assurance that the God who has never failed me never will. Amen.