Recently our team took two days to get away from the noise to be still and listen together. Our goal was to look back at all that God has done and then look ahead to 2024. This practice, looking back and looking forward, is a leadership skill that I believe is critical to following Jesus over the long haul. (For more information on this practice, check out Episode 12 of our podcast Free And Light)

My role in the retreat was to lead us through the process of remembering what God has done. I spent a few weeks collecting photos from the last decade of the story God has been writing at Seek Well. What began as two guys getting away to a cabin in the woods has become something we never could have imagined. Not even in our wildest dreams could we have thought that God would give us the opportunity to lead so many men and women into the quiet spaces to be still and listen.

As I looked back in our short history, the photos quickly reminded me of the incredible journey we have been on together. Check out a few of my favorites from the early days.

Fast forward a few years and nothing has changed. (Well, I guess that’s not completely true; the experiences we offer have gotten A LOT better! And, there are a few hundred new faces too.)

We just launched Refresh and Encourage Group Seven this fall and we are still slowing down to be still and listen to God. He has already begun to do a great work in the 10 men and 10 women in this group and I think that it's only the beginning.

“it is amazing how quickly I forget what God has done.”

One important thing jumped off the page in this process; it is amazing how quickly I forget what God has done. Seek Well is barely six years old and God has done an amazing work in so many lives. I tend to forget what He has done way too often. This is a critical mistake because if I forget the faithfulness of God I can lose heart and focus.

I wonder if you can relate to this. Have you forgotten what God has done in your life in the last few years? Where has God shown up for you that maybe you’ve lost sight of? What has He transformed in your life that has become a story in the past instead of a memorial stone to draw strength?

Before you look ahead to 2024, why don’t you take 30 minutes over a great cup of coffee to be still and remember what God has done in your life? My guess is that the Holy Spirit will gently remind you of His goodness and bring back to your memory His faithfulness; giving you the fuel you need to launch into 2024 and look ahead to the future.

Tim