Do You Remember?

I got off the phone a few days ago with a one of my debtors.   The bad news is that I forgot to make a payment that was due a few days ago. The good news is that they told me that it was the first time that I have ever forgotten to make my payment by the due date.  I must confess that sometimes I forget things.  I sometimes forget to do this household chore… make that phone call… or go on that errand.    I bet that if you are honest that sometimes you forget too. 

One of the saddest conditions that I witness among my fellow human beings  is dementia.  The person cannot remember the names of loved ones or friends or they forget appointments to the doctor or the way home.  The person looks like their old selves, but in your interaction with them you discover that there is something missing.   I find myself today wondering if my forgetfulness to pay that bill is a foreshadowing of a dementia that is to come. 

While dementia is a sad and debilitating condition, there is a condition that is akin that is just as devastating that we talk little about.   That condition is spiritual amnesia.  You will not see it discussed in a medical journal or have a doctor screen you for it at your next physical examination.    Spiritual amnesia is when we forget the Lord our God and all that He has done for us. 

I am trying to fight against spiritual amnesia.      I read my Bible daily not because I have never read it before.   I attend worship Sunday after Sunday, church season after church season.   I have a Bible app on my phone that sends me a “verse of the day” and I read that verse morning and night.   When I look at the beauty of a sunset or a blooming flower, I am awed not just by what it is but by the One who created it.   I know not what the future will be for me.   I am not sure if there will ever come a time when I will forget my loved ones or forget how to get home.  I certainly do not want to forget them, but I also certainly do not want to forget the One who told his followers long ago “Do this in remembrance of me.”   The best news is that  though you and  I may sometimes forget the Lord, God never forgets us.  Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:    O God,  we give you thanks that though we may forget you, you never forget us.  Thank you for your love that is new every morning;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.