Remembering-Time

Written By Katherine Kwong

May 2025 Devotional
The Spiritual Practice of Remembering

Pulling out of my driveway into the cool Nashville morning, I press play on a voice memo I recorded weeks ago. It’s just under four minutes, and I listen to it twice on my commute, along with Pray As You Go. The memo is me reading Matthew 5:1–12–the Beatitudes–and Matthew 6:25–34, the part about anxiety.

Listening to your own voice isn’t for everyone, but I’ve found that committing something to memory–Scripture, a poem, a hymn, even a phone number–can be powerful.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about something I’ll call remembering-time: the intentional act of recalling for the sake of reflection, healing, or learning. It’s deeper than a to-do list. How do you spend your remembering-time?

Friends inspired me to make a bingo card this year–a 5x5 grid of goals and experiences. Two of my squares are dedicated to memorizing one Old Testament and one New Testament passage. I’ve got a good memory–full conversations, Pixar quotes, you name it–but this challenged me to reflect. Not all my remembering-time is fruitful. Sometimes it’s lost to YouTube shorts, meal planning, or burdens I carry for others. I’ve felt the ache of wasted time.

But, be encouraged, friends: God remembers perfectly. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Nothing is hidden or forgotten.

“And God remembered Noah…” – Genesis 8:1

“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” – Heb 8:12

“For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. . .” – Psalm 103:14

God is always in remembering-time. And when we remember–whether a Scripture or a moment of beauty, or an act of grace–we mirror His nature.

As I memorize the Beatitudes, I skip over or misremember words. Still, phrases come back to me, grounding me in the truth: God remembers me–my worries, needs, and hopes.

This month is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. As a 3rd generation Chinese American, I think of my parents in Southern California, my silly biracial nephews and niece, and both of my grandmothers in Los Angeles. The shared meals and the stories–all part of remembering-time that shapes identity and belonging.

And as sexual minorities, we carry other memories:

  • Times we weren’t ready to share

  • People who came alongside us–or didn’t

  • The first time we felt at home outside our home of origin

  • When we found our chosen family

So here’s my invitation friends: commit something beautiful and true to memory. A Scripture passage, a poem, a hymn. It doesn’t need to be perfect or public–just something you carry within you, something to ground your remembering-time in God’s presence.

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Katherine Kwong

Katherine is a Nashville (for now) based graduate student, beauty-finder, podcast producer, and all-around curious human. When she isn't in class she enjoys cooking, sharing meals with friends, reading, and walk-hiking. Her podcast, "This Book That Book" can be found wherever you get your podcasts: it's about children's books–their impact on us–and how we reread and reflect on them as adults. This is her first piece for Revoice.

”My journey regarding the intersection of faith and sexuality has been shaped in large part by how I experience faith through art and pop culture. While those spaces can often feel secular, I believe they hold deep redemptive veins. The way art and media tell truth plainly can sometimes feel more accessible than theological language that’s harder to grasp. As I’ve noticed the humanity of Jesus, the tenderness of God, and the presence of the Trinity in Scripture, I’ve come to see that God has a truly holistic vision for our lives—including our queerness, our creativity, and our longing to be known. My journey is still unfolding, but I am holding onto the power of Christ’s love for all people, and for all parts of who we are.

I started writing because I wanted to intentionally use my memory as a tool for spiritual formation. For my 2025 bingo card, I made two squares to memorize Scripture—one Old Testament, one New—and I realized I often use my sharp memory for things like movie one-liners, Calvin and Hobbes comics, or even painful words spoken over me. But this year, I wanted to harness that gift to hold God’s Word instead. I hope that simple act inspires others to do the same.

In everything I write, I hope to help readers remember—because memory is sacred. To remember is to have history, to know what came before, and to let it shape how we move forward. I believe memory is one of the ways we reflect the image of God—who remembers constantly, perfectly, and with love. My hope is that my writing helps reframe painful memories we may carry and encourages us to keep remembering the good, the holy, and the true in our everyday lives.

In my contributions to Revoice’s “Our Voices” Blog, I’m especially passionate about themes of memory, the intersection of sexuality and chronic illness or pain, beauty and creativity, and the power of storytelling.” — Katherine

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An Invitation to Blessing and Joy