Memory Remembering.

 Sweet memory, such a blessed ability we possess. When I was a child I can recall my parents asking me to do some chore or another, one that didn't necessarily have to be completed right away. They asked expecting their request to be done- maybe that afternoon, but most assuredly by that evening. When bedtime was nearing- finding us as a family in front of the television set watching a tv show together- mom, dad, my three sisters and my brother, all of there in the living room, some of us in chairs, or on the couch, others chose to take up space on the floor as close to the television as we could get. Such a sweet memory there in picturing all of us. There we were and it was during a commercial that the question would be asked. "Did you remember to <insert chore/request here>?"  Now in that moment there would be either a casual, "Yes." Or, a tiny fear pit in the stomach. "No, I forgot." 

Do you remember anything similar to that sort of occurrence? Maybe you didn't have the exact same setting it took place in (I'm sort of showing my age by the whole family around a tv/and commercials memory).  You do have to remember a parent asking you to do something and you either remembering or forgetting to have done it.  

Forgetting to remember, it's never a nice thing because when you forget to remember something it is usually something you desire to remember. Forgetting to remember something you don't care to remember is usually met with relief, but not so those things we want to remember.  As a child I wanted to remember to do whatever it was I'd been told to do, even if it were something I didn't want to do. I didn't intentionally forget because I knew I'd be called to task if I forgot and rightly so, after consenting to get the thing done.  

So what caused the memory lapse? Any number of things could have been responsible- simply out of sight out of mind, not doing it right away and having other things just overwrite any thought of  the task allocated for the future.  We don't often know even as adults WHY we don't remember things we want to remember. Children as a rule, and on up until at least middle-aged adults, aren't usually even jokingly expect to have any trouble remembering things. Older adults, well we get teased about the future of our memories and aging. Still older adults into those so called golden years, we aren't expected to have a very long memory at all. There's a joke often posted about stepping into the next room for something and forgetting why you're there- that short of a time frame. 

Well, I can remember my dad saying to me quite often -- enough that it stuck with me my entire life - "You'd forget your head if it weren't attached." Or the other- "If you had a brain you'd be dangerous."  You see, my memory has been a subject of lament for a long time.  I remember with Jerry, we'd been together oh, about two years or so and by that time the newness of togetherness had gradually set aside the endearing annoyances allowing them to turn into irritations. You know what I mean- that new shine on the relationship often dulls a bit and you come face to face with choosing to love, rather than clinging to a lost infatuated new car smell… uhm… new relationship smell? Nah, not smell, but you know what I mean, I know you do. Newness gives way to familiarity in relationships and sometimes what was once considered cute and a little funny, might turn into being not so cute or funny any longer. 

My memory was one of those things. Being the forgetful sort (all my life) I'd often have to apologize when I forgot to do things, truly never intentionally forgetting. When I'd finally forgotten one too many a thing over the course of time, Jerry grew a little upset with me and told me, "If you loved me you wouldn't forget."  Of course I was heartbroken! What did my loving him have to do with remembering things?! I was forgetful! No one else had ever equated my forgetfulness with my loving them! You see, the thing is, Jerry had a SUPER memory. Jerry DID NOT forgot. I'm not kidding. I'm very serious. I really am down right telling the truth. For most of our relationship Jerry's memory was a thing of amazement to me - Mrs. Forgetfulness.  

So you can understand when he came face to face with someone who didn't have a super memory, but rather a very faulty one, it boggled his mind. He couldn't fully comprehend my ability to forget, and took it as a personal affront.  

I told him that my forgetting to do things had NOTHING to do with loving him or not loving him. I explained my history of forgetfulness. And of course he gave me the benefit of the doubt and then told me that I shouldn't say I will do something if I'm not going to do it, no matter what. That I should write myself notes if I didn't think I could remember whatever it might be that needed remembering. 

From that day on, right up until His passing, I never again told him I'd do something-- I always replied-- "I'll do my best to remember."  Did I write notes? Sometimes, but not always. Did I always remember stuff from that point on… NO.  Did I ever intentionally not remember to do something I'd said I'd try to remember to do? NOPE. 

It eased something inside of Jerry to know that I recognized giving him my word on something, saying I do something was important, HE was important to me, His love was important to me, and I didn't disrespect that love by going back on my word simply by forgetting to do as I said I would do. Once I gave Him that knowledge of my loving him meant I would always TRY to remember out of that love, He accepted that. It WAS enough for Him, His heart was reassured that this bizarre faulty memory I had was not a slight towards Him in any way.  It never became a huge issue again in our relationship. It could still be exasperating for Him at times, but He knew when I did forget and I did apologize for forgetting, it was a sincere, heartfelt apology, an apology of love and respect.  

No, ours was not a perfect relationship- those do NOT exist. Ours was a very down to earth relationship- hills and valleys, ebbs and flows, ups and downs, and all that good and bad stuff all of us humans deal with in our lives.

So, why all this talk about memory?  God wants us to remember Him and all too often we forget to include Him in our everyday lives. A Bible verse I read today remind me of memory. Often we exclude Him from the majority of our day reserving maybe one day out of the week for a bit of God recollection. Or perhaps a moment in the morning, a bit of time before bed- we might remember Him in our lives.  God wants us to remember Him in all we do, to be a part of our lives as we live them. God wants us to hold fast to Him because He is the best part of our lives. God gives and God takes away, I know you all know that. God allows and God doesn't allow, and in all of that God knows that He's set before us eternity. As soon as eternity is set before us we are no longer expecting this temporary life to be a thing of ease in any way. Yes, there can be ease in our lives, and we call them blessings, because they aren't promised to us at all- eternity is our promised land, our promised home, our promised hope. We need to have a memory that holds fast to the truths in God.  

Do I have the Bible memorized?  Ha! You're talking to Mrs. Always Been Forgetful -- remember?  I don't have it memorized but that's not going to stop me from praying to never forget my Lord and Savior, to never forget the love of my God, to never forget the gospel hope of eternal life through forgiveness for all my sins, all my shortcomings. I long for the day of my Savior's return, I long for the eternity to come and the memory of life everlasting. With Jesus in eternity I have a belief I'll never forget anything again. All in HIS LOVE, my blessed Savior! 

1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 

1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye KEEP IN MEMORY what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 

Pro 3:1  My son, FORGET NOT my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 

Pro 3:2  For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 

Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 

Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 

Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 

Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 

Pro 3:8  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 

Pro 3:9  Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 

Pro 3:10  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. 

Pro 3:11  My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 

Pro 3:12  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 

Pro 4:13  TAKE FAST HOLD OF instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Pro 6:20  My son, KEEP thy father's commandment, and FORSAKE NOT the law of thy mother: 

Pro 6:21  BIND THEM CONTINUALLY upon thine heart, and TIE THEM about thy neck. 

Pro 6:22  When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 

Pro 6:23  For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life

Pro 23:23  BUY THE TRUTH AND SELL IT NOT; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

Col 1:23  If ye CONTINUE IN THE FAITH grounded and settled, and BE NOT MOVED AWAY from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister

Heb 2:1  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

Heb 3:6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, IF WE HOLD FAST the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope FIRM UNTO THE END. 

Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, IF WE HOLD the beginning of our confidence stedfast UNTO THE END; 

Heb 3:15  While it is said, TODAY if ye will hear his voice, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS, as in the provocation

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, LET US HOLD FAST our profession.

Heb 10:23  LET US HOLD FAST the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.