If you are having a difficult time being thankful, the problem may be your memory.

You are less likely to say, “What has God done for me lately?” and more likely to remember the things God has done for you by memorializing them. Here’s what we mean. In the Old Testament, the great leader, Joshua, made it a practice to stack up twelve large stones (one for each of the tribes of Israel) whenever God did something for them.

We’re not suggestion that you make a rock pile in your front yard to mark a special time when God helped you, but a photograph on the refrigerator might serve as a reminder. Or you might want to keep a special calendar or journal in which you keep track of God’s unusual provisions. Whatever you do, make an effort to remember. The more you see what God has done in the past, the more you will see Him at work in the present.

I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.

Psalm 77:11