(I preface this post with an apology for being late. I was traveling and even though I had my computer with me, I couldn’t get my writing done. So here it is a little late, but not because I forgot!)
It surely seems like I forget a lot of things. I forget names and birthdays. I forget to take my vitamins. I forget whether I watered the plants or not. I forget something on my shopping list almost every time I go to the grocery. Forgetting these things frustrates me. I hate forgetting things.
There is no doubt that forgetting things can be exasperating. It impairs our ability to get things done and slows us down. It can be embarrassing, like forgetting someone’s name. It can be hurtful, like forgetting someone’s birthday. It can be inconvenient like forgetting something on your grocery list. Forgetting can be irritating, bothersome, and problematic at times. It can interfere with our activities, our schedules, and sometimes our peace of mind. And forgetting important matters can have serious repercussions.
As we age, we might find that forgetting is more common. Although, I’ve always been somewhat forgetful, I do find that it is a little harder to remember things these days. The answer to the age-old question, “Why did I come into this room?” often completely eludes me. And questions like, “What was that actor’s name?” totally stump me. I may have known the answer in the past, but I can’t remember it now. Things that I learned in school, past experiences, people I’ve known, and places I’ve been are oftentimes vague memories. I discuss events with my children only to find that my memory of them is completely different than theirs. Have I forgotten all these things?
A good friend of mine said that as we age, our minds get so full that they push out the old or unimportant information to make room for the new stuff. I doubt that is a scientifically based conclusion, but it kind of makes sense. The principle of ‘use or lose’ seems to be the rule-of-thumb for our mind’s function.
I marvel at people who can readily remember things. Whether it’s because they work at it or because they have the aptitude for it, I admire that skill. I have another friend who remembers everyone’s birthday. If you tell her the date of your birthday once, she will never forget it. She admits that she forgets other things, but never a birthday. I don’t know how she does it.
I think for many of us, forgetting is fueled by technology. I used to remember most of the phone numbers of my family and friends and many of their addresses. Nowadays, I only remember my cell number and my husband’s. All the rest of the numbers are in my phone and consequently, I have forgotten them. The convenience is nice, but it’s a double-edged sword. If I lost my phone, I’d be in dire straits!
But forgetting has a good side as well.
A good side, you say???
For instance, you have a fight with your best friend or your spouse and hurtful words are spoken. How do you recover from that? We must forget those hurtful words in order the mend the relationship. We can’t hold those words against the other person, nor can we harbor those words against ourselves. Forgetting those words is not only necessary to our relationship, but also beneficial to promote our affections.
Thoughts of disturbing images, frightening situations, or heartbreaking events cannot be allowed to dwell in our minds. God designed our minds to be able to refute those memories. We are able to forget things that cause us pain and suffering so that we can have the peace and joy that God desires for us.
The Bible is filled with exhortations to remember God’s words and actions. However, remembering is only part of the story. Some people can quote a plethora of Bible verses from memory. But do they really believe them? Unless we make the effort to truly learn what God’s Word says, how could we believe it? So, remembering God’s Word is more than a mental exercise. It is an active endeavor to learn and understand what God is saying to us. We live in a world that denounces God’s Word. Our society does its best to distract us from the Truth. It tries to fill our minds with a million ideas that are contrary to God’s Word. Remembering and believing what God says gives us the ammunition we need to fight against those evil thoughts. God knows that remembering the Light will help us forget the darkness.
So, although forgetting stuff can be annoying, we can always focus on remembering the most important things – the things of God. And when those thoughts fill our minds, forgetting the menial things won’t be so aggravating. And the best of all – when we concentrate on God, our confidence in Him grows. And when our confidence in God grows, we are assured in ourselves that we can ask for His help with anything, including help to not forget things. Like all the things of God, it’s a win-win for us!!
One of my favorite verses…
Psalm 103:2 – Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Isn’t it marvelous that God wants us to “forget not all his benefits”? He doesn’t tell us to remember them all! Who could do that?? He simply says, “don’t forget them all.”
Note to my readers: Forgetting is simply not remembering. And remembering is simply not forgetting. So, it stands to reason that if we work on remembering, (especially remembering God’s Word), we won’t be forgetting as much. Maybe that’s one way to look at it.
Thanks for reading!