I am notoriously terrible at remembering things, especially names of people and where I park my car.
A few weeks ago, I came home from the grocery store and told my husband a cute little story about not being able to remember where I parked, not even the general area of the parking lot, and that a nice young man, a store employee, helped me find it.
However, my husband didn’t think the story was so cute and he freaked out because he doesn’t want me getting kidnapped or robbed. Which I appreciate.
“You have to remember where you park!” he said. “Write it down! Press the button on your key!”
Now, whenever I go to the store I tell myself, “Don’t forget to remember where you park.”
So far I’ve remembered.
Life is hectic and I think lots of people have so much going on that it messes with their ability to remember stuff. Maybe it’s always been like that.
After all, throughout the Bible God is always telling his people to remember stuff.
He tells the ancient Israelites to remember their slavery in Egypt. They were always forgetting the pain of it and forgetting their miraculous rescue and instead they whine to go back and eat onions and leeks and not have to trust God’s promises.
God tells his people to collect rocks from the Jordan River, to remember how God held back the water so they could cross the river on dry land.
He tells his people to remember their Creator, to remember his wonders and his marvelous works.
At the Last Supper, Jesus gave his disciples bread and wine, said it was his body and blood, and that in the future, whenever they ate bread and drank wine, to “do it in remembrance of Me.”
We had communion last week at church, and when the pastor said the words, “remember Jesus,” I started remembering him.
I remembered the moment I read the scripture words, “Seek my face,” and my heart answered with the psalm writer: “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
I remembered the gospel story of how Jesus commanded a raging wind to be quiet and it was, and how he calmed both the violent storm and his terrified disciples, and I remembered the times he has calmed me.
I remembered his inviting words, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
I remembered his words of hope and promise: “Ask and it will be given to you” and “With God all things are possible.”
I remembered his compassion for sinners, that he wept at his friend’s grave and then brought him back to life.
I remembered the stories of him raising the dead, only son of a poor widow and the time he cast demons out of a man’s son and made a blind man see.
I remembered how he opened my eyes to my need and his great mercy, how he helped me to desire and then to accept his gift of grace.
I remembered his words on the Cross: “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.”
I remembered that not only is he able, but he’s willing, that he said he didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it.
Jesus told his disciples, “Remember me.”
When life is hard, remember Jesus.
Remember that he came to set captives free.
Remember that he remembers us first, from before the beginning of time, all throughout our lives, and even if we forget him, he never forgets his own. Never.
Don’t forget to remember that.
Nancy Kennedy can be reached at 352-564-2927 or by email at nkennedy@chronicleonline.com.