Summer makes me nervous.

I have three children, and I fret over how we’ll spend our days. Will we achieve the right mix of structure and spontaneity? Will I make time for the read-alouds and math facts review? And will we make magical memories?

I’ve been curating holidays and fueling fun (a.k.a. being a mom) for nearly 11 years. But I’m ready to lay down the burden of being Chief Memory Creator. The Lord has graciously shown me two truths: I’m not in control of how my memory-making endeavors turn out, and he has provided wonderful memories for us that don’t depend on our summer plans.

We’ll Laugh About This Someday

It’s not wrong to want my kids to have a great summer. I want to strengthen our family bond, take a break from our regular routines, go on adventures, and make memories. But I’m sorely tempted to rest my hopes for the summer on my own efforts.

I’m ready to lay down the burden of being Chief Memory Creator.

Over Christmas break, we went on a big family trip. My husband and I put in many hours of thinking and planning, and the first couple of days went pretty well. I was congratulating myself. And then it happened: my worst trip nightmare. The exact thing about which I’d prayed, “Lord, please don’t let this happen”—a child got the stomach virus.

The following day, my husband came down with the flu and was so sick he couldn’t leave the hotel room. Our trip quickly turned from “Let’s make magical memories!” to “I hope we make it home in one piece.”

Did we strengthen our family bond? Did we take a break from our regular routines? And did we go on an adventure? We sure did. But not at all in the ways we’d hoped.

Everyone knows that some memories turn out warm and fuzzy, while others are filed under “We’ll laugh about this . . . eventually.” As I strive for the former, I’ve been asking, What kind of memories matter to the Lord? And how should that affect my efforts? Fortunately, God’s Word has a lot to say about good memories. Life-giving memories. Memories that transcend my circumstances—and invite me to lay down the burden of Chief Memory Creator.

Remember What God Did

When I look to Scripture, I find that a particular type of memory is highly valued. Again and again, God’s people are called to remember his works.

This is at odds with my natural memory-making efforts, which can turn into stressful attempts to provide “core memory” opportunities. The value I place on these opportunities starts to feel silly as I dig into what the Word says about remembering. When God’s people remember his works, the Lord uses this recollection to quell our fears, deepen our trust, and align our focus on him. In Deuteronomy, Moses urges the Israelites to remember God’s work on their behalf as they head into the promised land:

If you say in your heart, “These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?” you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So will the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. (Deut. 7:17–19)

Reflecting on the ways God had led his people and protected them thus far was the prescription for their fear of the future.

Likewise, Psalm 105 encourages God’s people to “remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered” (v. 5), reminding us that “he remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations” (v. 8). This psalm is a detailed recounting of God’s promises to his people—and his faithful keeping of those promises.

Recalling God’s promises and their fulfillment leads us steadily into deeper trust. As our circumstances shift, this practice anchors us in his unchanging faithfulness.

Psalm 77 shows us the necessity of memory, as the Spirit uses it to pull the writer out of despair. Early in this psalm, Asaph laments that his “soul refuses to be comforted” and he is “so troubled that [he] cannot speak” (vv. 2, 4). But he reaches a turning point when he sets his mind to remember: “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds” (vv. 11–12).

As he recounts these deeds and wonders, he recenters his thinking on the truth of God’s character—the only balm for his desperate feelings. These memories of God’s works aren’t just warm and fuzzy. They’re powerful. They’re uplifting. And they’re eternal.

‘This I Call to Mind’

The Lord knows we, like the Israelites, are quick to forget. So in his mercy, he has given us our most vital “core memories” in his living and active Word. When they begin to fade, we can review them again and again.

How does this change my parenting, including my summer planning?

The Lord is reorienting the way I think about memories. Of course, I want my children to enjoy their childhood. But I don’t just want them to reflect fondly on family activities; I want them to call to mind stories of God’s faithfulness.

When God’s people remember his works, the Lord uses this recollection to quell our fears, deepen our trust, and align our focus on him.

The Bible is clear that I should be talking to my children about God: “Talk of [God’s words] when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut. 6:7). My greatest desire for my kids is that they’d readily “call to mind” the Lord’s faithfulness. As Lamentations 3:21–23 says, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

We can remember God the Father’s guidance and provision for the Israelites in the wilderness, Jesus’s signs and compassion in his earthly ministry, and the Holy Spirit’s powerful movements in the early church. We can talk at the dinner table about God’s works that we’ve seen in our own house, whether it was years ago or yesterday. We can even remember how he brought us home from that disastrous Christmas trip in one piece.

Whether our summer is filled with hashtaggable moments, disappointing adventures gone awry, or simply everyday tasks, by the Lord’s help we can cultivate and reinforce life-giving memories of his wonderful works.