Rereading what you noted the day before
Noting down what God tells you is precious. But if you never reread what you noted, those lines sleep in a notebook and are of no use. This quest invites you to a very simple habit: rereading yesterday before starting today.
What it looks like in your day
Three minutes are enough, at the start of your time with God. Here is how it goes:
- Open your notebook or notes to yesterday's page.
- Reread slowly. The verse, the sentence you had written, the prayer, the planned action.
- Ask yourself three questions:
- What remains alive in me from this reading? - Did I do what I had planned? What kept me from it, or helped me? - Is there something to pursue today?
- Add a small note if needed: “Put into practice at noon.” or “Didn't manage, to pick up again.”
- Move on to today's reading, keeping this thread.
You will notice something interesting: when you reread yesterday's notes, you often discover a link with what you are about to read today. God works with continuity. Successive readings answer one another.
If you are short on time, reread only the last sentence written. If you are a beginner, this gesture teaches you to take your notes seriously: you will write better knowing that you will reread. If you are shy, you are alone with your notebook: no exposure.
What the Bible says
The psalmist describes exactly this alternation between meditation and memory:
“I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.”
He “meditates” (he thinks, he ruminates) and he does “not forget”. The two go together: reflecting without retaining is vain, retaining without reflecting too. The letter to the Hebrews warns against the danger of drifting away from what we have heard:
“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”
“Give the more earnest heed” takes effort. What is not reread is lost. Memory is one of the keys to faith in the Bible: throughout Israel's history, people recall what God has done, have it told again, have it passed on. The psalmist says: “I will remember the works of the Lord” (Psalms 77:11).
Mary, too, kept things in her heart and pondered them (Luke 2:19): a heart that goes back over what it has received.
Pitfalls to avoid
Rereading in order to judge yourself. If you reread your notes just to see that you didn't keep your promise, you will get discouraged. The goal is to keep going, not to condemn yourself. If you missed it, start again today.
Writing too much. If your notes are long, you won't feel like rereading them. A few lines are worth more than an essay.
Going too fast. Three minutes is short. But reread slowly, not skimming.
Depending on the notebook. Notes help, but don't replace the relationship. If you have no notes, don't get stuck: just read, pray, move on.
Forgetting to give thanks. When you find a thought that helped you, say thank you to God. The aim of these rereadings is gratitude.
Tomorrow morning, before your reading for the day, open today's notes. Reread, then continue.