Remembering…

Amnesia (ām-nē‘zhə) n. “The loss or impairment of memory.” (Stedman’s Medical Dictionary)

One of my favourite programs every December is the one where they compile all of the news highlights of the past year. I wonder if it’s because of my propensity to keep forgetting them, always being caught up in the ‘tyranny of the urgent’. So, I find myself saying out loud throughout the program, “oh, I remember that”, and am usually struck by how far from my immediate thoughts’ that event was, even if it was mere months or weeks ago, and extremely significant.

Sadly, I think I also get that way about ‘God’ moments in my life. So many times I catch myself in a state of thinking that God is not involved in the everyday ‘doing’ of my life. I like to refer to this as ‘spiritual amnesia’, because like the people of Israel, I seem to forget all of the good things that God has done in my life! 

The patriarchs of old had a habit of building altars as memorials to significant ‘God’ events – encounters, victories, etc. Jacob set up a pillar (Gen. 28), Joshua made a pile of river stones (Josh. 4), Moses… Abraham… all built Altars of Remembrance in order to worship God and bear witness for future generations. Even in our New Testament era, we have the Lord’s Supper as an act of Remembrance for the ultimate way God answered mankind’s greatest need – forgiveness once for all for sin.

So before I head into a new year, in expectation of moments that could both cause me to celebrate or fall to my knees in desperation, perhaps I should make my own list of ‘news highlights’ of how God was involved in my life this past year. If you’re one who journals you might find it easy to look back at the year. If you’re more prone to discussion, meet with those you ‘journey’ with… they will probably help you fill in the blanks, and you them. Then together we can press forward into next year with a confidence that God, as he promised, “is with you until the end of the age’. There can be nothing more assuring.
16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:16-19- NIV) 

Happy New Year!

Pastor Johnny Markin