"O Remember, Remember"

I was recently asked to tell my addiction recovery story with some one over the phone. It was in the middle of my lunch break. I sat out in my car and told them all that had happen and what God had done for me.

I cried. I was so grateful to be able remember where I had come from and the help that God provided. The spirit filled my body. It was an amazing reminder!

There are 3 things I do to remember the Lord:

Praying. I remember when I was first in the Addiction Recovery Program praying was hard. I felt guilty, awkward and a lot of other negative emotions. Know that it takes time to re-open that communication with Christ, but don’t stop! I promise it will be beautiful. The Lord is there!

Journaling. I was so grateful to be able to tell my story with someone, for some of you that is scary or not something you feel comfortable doing. That’s fine! But let the Lord show you that you have made progress.  A way this can happen is to write in your journal. It can be good or bad. It can be a gratitude journal, one line from your day, quotes, or your life story! It can be whatever!!

I love these quotes about journaling:

“Our story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are available. … What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved? Some of what you write may be humdrum dates and places, but there will also be rich passages that will be quoted by your posterity. … Get a notebook, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your going and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements, and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important events. ... This is what the Lord has commanded and those who keep a personal journal are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance their daily lives."(President Kimball, New Era Oct 1975)

 “Knowledge carefully recorded is knowledge available in time of need. Spiritually sensitive information should be kept in a sacred place that communicates to the Lord how you treasure it. This practice enhances the likelihood of receiving further light.” (Elder Scott, 1993 October General Conference)

As I have read through old journals I am grateful for what they teach me. I wish I had kept one at the beginning of my recovery. I was too shameful to even write down the word Pornography, Masturbating, etc. Maybe you are too. That’s okay. Put a P or an M, or just write “my problem”, “my issue”, “My addiction”. Don’t let Satan hold you back. I promise you that it will be a tool that will be able to use, look back on and be SO grateful for. It is something that you can pass down for generations or you can get rid of it later in life.  You can hide it in a special place, you can write it on a private blog, on your phone, etc. Stop justifying and dive in.

A number of studies show that we retain things longer if we write them down, so documenting your spiritual thought, impressions and experiences This will allow feelings we experience to become a part of who we are, available to us in every part of our lives.

Reading Scriptures: The scriptures are really a journal! I am so grateful for them. Throughout the Book of Mormon we are remind by many prophets to “Remember, Remember”. Elder Jensen said, “If we pay close attention to the uses of the word remember in the holy scriptures, we will recognize that remembering in the way God intends is a fundamental and saving principle of the gospel. This is so because prophetic admonitions to remember are almost always calls to action: to listen, to see, to do, to obey and to repent. When we remember in God’s way, we overcome our human tendency simply to grid for the battle of life and actually engage in the battle itself, doing all in our power to resist temptation and avoid sinning.” (April 2007 conference)

How grateful I am for all the ways I can remember the Lord. I know there are many more ways to remember Him: sacrament, temple work (remembering covenants), conference, etc. etc.

I can testify that the Lord is with us. He wants us to “always remember Him”. He loves us. Get on your knees and thank Him, talk with Him, remember Him.

Much love,

Rachel