I think I’m becoming more forgetful as I get older.
I forget where I left my car keys. I forget where I parked my car.
I forgot what time my kids finish school. I forget what days they have activities.
I always forget something on my shopping list. Even when I write it down.
And people over 30 will agree with me, at some point we start forgetting how old we are. (though that might be a deliberate forgetting.)
I can’t tell if I’ve become more forgetful because I’m older and my synapses are firing slower, or if I’m becoming more forgetful because as I’ve gotten busier, it’s harder to keep track of all the other things I need to remember.
I’m sure forgetfulness isn’t unique to me. In our desires to manage life and get through things efficiently, we make lists, make reminders, write things down – ways to help us remember the important things. They have devices now to attach to things to help you find them. We’re becoming a people that are so busy and so forgetful, we’re outsourcing our memory.
But are there things that we should never forget? Things we should remember everyday? And are there things we should remember, but always forget?
I’m reminded of this verse in Philippians 3:13-14
But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Here I’m reminded that God is very real — and we are called to be looking daily towards Him. Funny thing is, it’s what I seem to forget everyday. In the busyness of life and responsibilities, I become so focused with what’s in front of me, that I forget what’s ahead of me — or rather, who’s ahead of me.
What I need to remember is thatGod is alive, and I am engaged daily in a spiritual battle.
That daily piece of focus shifts the way I approach each situation that unfolds through the day, and also reminds me that there is so much more going on in the world, than just what my eyes see.
In life, remember what your focus is.