God has given us three kinds of sight: hindsight, insight, and foresight. Think of it as 3D vision. The ability to look back, look in, and look ahead are part of the image of God that set up apart from the rest of creation. And they are intertwined. The ability to look ahead, aka imagination, is largely dictated by our ability to look back, aka memory.

Gratitude is the byproduct of a sanctified memory. We look back on those God moments when the Lord revealed himself to us. Faith is the byproduct of a sanctified imagination. It’s a holy confidence that is sure of what it hopes for.

What are you grateful for?
What are you hoping for?

Those are two of the most important questions we can ask, but we rarely spend more than ten minutes pondering them. What if you took an hour at the end of this year and asked those two questions? Maybe try a stream of consciousness writing exercise. Use a 2011 calendar to jog your memory. Use a 2011 calendar to jog your imagination. I often reread my blog to jog my memory. Or I review my gratitude journal.