Forgetfulness
(Twila Belk)
Forgetting things isn't new to me—it just seems to happen more often now. I have trouble remembering names of people I've known for ages, or something I was thinking about ten seconds ago. I've sat at a stop sign and waited for it to turn green. Sometimes I forget to push the button on the elevator and wonder why it hasn't moved.
These days, a frequent expression of mine is, "Of all the things I miss, I miss my mind the most."
I said that to my best friend Jennifer several months ago, and she responded right away with, "I miss your mind too."
But one of my worst cases of forgetfulness happened almost three decades ago when I was young, energetic, and still had a fully functioning brain. It was an August day, and I was going about business as I usually did; however, I had a niggling feeling that wouldn't let go. There's something significant about this day. I wonder what it is.
By mid-afternoon, I had my answer. As I sorted through the stacks of paper on my dining room table, I discovered that it was the first day of school and I had forgotten to take my kids!
Yes, my friends made fun of me (and still do), and school personnel questioned my mental stability. It's all because I didn't keep that important information at the top of my pile and smack dab in front of my face. "Out of sight, out of mind" is a clichéd expression, but it's proven to be true in my case.
Sadly, that's also often the case with many of us when it comes to our relationship with God. If we don't keep Him at the "top of our pile," we forget that He's with us. We forget that He loves us. We forget who He is. And because of our forgetfulness, we're troubled needlessly with a load of care.
David wrote these words in Psalm 16:8: "I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken" (AMP). He knew the key to being at peace—or unshaken—was to have a constant awareness of the Lord's presence.
Here are some of the ways he kept the Lord continually before him:
• Talked honestly with God and carried on a running conversation with Him
• Meditated on God’s words
• Journaled his thoughts and prayers to God (see the Psalms)
• Passed down his God stories to the next generation
• Sang praises to God
• Proclaimed God’s goodness
• Talked to others about God
• Danced before God
• Opened his eyes and heart to notice God at work
• Immersed himself in the truth of God’s Word
As with us, life wasn’t always easy for David. He faced storms, dealt with wicked people, confronted giants, had to make difficult decisions, and wrestled with inner turmoil. But because he knew God intimately and kept Him at the “top of his pile,” David was able to trust Him. God proved Himself to David again and again and will do the same for us.
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