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At some point or stage as we age we invariably notice that we forget things. Usually names are the first to go by the wayside, then it is grocery items for which we make lists and these are not exempt from being lost either. Whether it be spectacles, car keys, lists, or sundry items around the home, spare a thought for those of us who have misplaced belongings of value with financial and emotional attachment such as an engagement and wedding ring. Yes, this happened on Wednesday 6th July 2022 when using the restroom at our beloved local library. Since having my rings cleaned prior to Passover I have made a concerted effort to take them off before washing my hands so that the water does not get in under the setting of my blue topaz stone of swimming pool colour. As I carefully placed these rings on the counter in full view thinking to myself that there was no way I could miss seeing them there and would in no way forget them, promptly forget them I did! After about half an hour while sitting in the park enjoying the winter sunshine without a care in the world, I suddenly looked at my left hand and got a shock because my ring finger was atypically bare. It was in that precise moment that my memory activated into retrieval mode. As I hurriedly raced back to the library I became puffed and out of breath as the power walk uphill tested me to my limits for there was not a moment to lose. You can imagine the loud myriad of thoughts tumbling about in my head. Have I lost my treasured rings forever? Would some kind person turn them in or would someone take them to a pawn shop to get some easy money? As I tried to calm myself down despite imagining the very worst I prayed to God asking Him to help. Telling God I want my rings back was important to me but added to my prayers was the simple statement that if they are lost to me forever then I will accept this as graciously as I can, for as long as I have my most valued possession — the NKJV Bible I want for nothing.
Another thought was predominant as I moved up that hill to the best of my ability and it reminded me of a scripture in the Bible — the one about will God find faith on the earth when He returns. This is in Luke 18:8. My thoughts mirrored this in my moment of need — will I find an honest person not greedy for gain or covetousness in this day and age? The answer is a resounding YES to my delight and great thankfulness as the librarian returned my rings to me after I began a brief description of them to her when prompted. There were no contact details so all I could do is pray for God to bless this lady in the way He chooses that would please or benefit her for God only knows these things, and I look forward to hearing all about these details in the future. I felt like rejoicing and this reminded me of another bible scripture about the lost coin in Luke 15:8-9. There will be no more taking off my rings in public places. If water gets in, it gets in and having them cleaned twice annually will just have to do. Going through this sort of stress I can definitely do without. And so what seemed like a good idea is no longer a good idea for me and has been shelved (at home) or laid to rest when out in public.
Psalm 88 in my Bible is headed with the title "a prayer for help in despondency" and while I can't relate to most of what Heman the Ezrahite (grandson of Samuel, singer and choir leader of the Levitical clan of Kohath, a descendant of Korah, of Judah's son Zerah — 1 Chronicles 2:6) has written, two verses captured my attention. Psalm 88:12-13 says "Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But to You I have cried out, O Lord, and in the morning my prayer comes before You". This Psalm containing the words "land of forgetfulness" is a rather timely reminder that life contains painful suffering and loss even for Christians and are part and parcel of our human existence. Time and chance happen to us all without exception as King Solomon pens in Ecclesiastes 9:11. However we do realise that there are many occasions when we have been supernaturally protected by an angel and we are most incredibly grateful to be spared in those instances. All according to God's will and so we do our best to be wise in all circumstances and continue on in prayer for God's protection daily.
The Israelites were definitely a forgetful bunch. Time and time again they declared that they would do all that God says in Exodus 19:8; 24:3; 24:7, Deuteronomy 5:27-29; 26:17, and Joshua 24:24 to listen, learn, and be obedient. We know how that went. Time and time again they were forgetful, joining in with pagan practices in idolatrous worship. What about us? Do we stay loyal to God once we know His commandments, statutes, and ordinances? Or are we like the man in the mirror spoken about in James 1:22-24 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was". Instead we should practice what follows in James 1:25 "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does". The book of James is a condensed version of practical Christianity to me and full of wisdom on how to be Christ-like — and we would do well to remember to refer to these 5 chapters throughout each year we are blessed to remain alive.
While it is frustrating when we are forgetful in physical things, it is even more discouraging to be forgetful in spiritual matters and it must be not so amongst us. Sincere, heartfelt repentance is key in order to become genuinely Christ-like learning from our mistakes. Each time we slip up we go to God in humble prayer and take a leaf out of King David's book where he says in Psalms 26:2 "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart". Therefore we continue on in thorough examination. If ever there was a man who repented with all his heart and soul it would be David who I think of as the King of Repentance. Routine sins, small sins, big sins, sins of omission and commission, sins of forgetfulness — they are all there in our Bibles to read about and explore the who, what, when, why, where, and how in order to learn from and ensure we are changing and endeavouring to hate sin. This we aim to do as much as Jesus Christ hates sin, for He never sinned. We are sinners, not that we practice sin, yet we slip up here and there on a journey of removing more of ourselves until we become increasingly more like our older brother. For this is our daily struggle which we willingly take on board while resisting and overcoming.
While we might all agree that aging is a natural part of life, many do not get this opportunity for their life is cut short. My mother died at 36 years of age in the prime of her life. Her mother, my dear grandmother told me not to get old — like I had a choice in the matter — but it is all about aging well because we look to God for His will in our lives. Job 2:10 reveals "But he (Job) said to her (his wife), 'You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips". Job's trial gave him much to think on. Losing my rings gave me a reality check on what is truly important in my life. There may very well come a time in our lives where we lose a lot more than just parts of our memories. For some will need to walk away from life as we know it now leaving behind every possession except for the clothes on our backs. Whether we reach the end of our natural days and are buried, or whether we are part of those who flee to safety when God tells us to go, we take one day at a time and do the best we can with what we have; what God has blessed us with. Course correction is important when we make mistakes. Being forgetful is not something to repeat so it is wise to remember the mistakes of the Israelites and endeavour to be humble, thankful, and always teachable whether we have treasured possessions or not. For we are so wonderfully blessed to own a Bible, even more than one Bible, and to be able to read God's Word every day. This is what truly matters, our relationship with God. Without God everything pales into insignificance and life is meaningless.