I sat down this afternoon with my high school senior year annual. It has been decades since I cracked it open. I wasn’t surprised that I could not remember the names and faces of those in the classes below seniors. We were so important as seniors the other peons didn’t exist. But what amazed me was I could not remember those in my class, some of which I think were in my class all four years. By each picture there is a written message. The messages basically all say the same thing. “Don’t forget the good times we had.” I did.
There was one message that really puzzles me. It starts off with “Dearest Roger, It has been swell knowing you this year. Really. Lovingly Yours, Gayle” It is beside a picture of some girl named, Linda. Wow. Who’s Gayle? Who’s Linda? Are they the same person? If anything happened surely I would remember!! I’m not that senile.
If this memory loss could happen after fifty years what will it be like to live forever? So I am going to cover myself now by asking you to forgive me if we meet once every millennium or so and I have no recollection of you. I’m sorry. It must be in my DNA.
I get the idea that forgetting is a big thing in heaven. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12. God sets the standard and if we are to be like Him we also will forget each other’s sins. There will be no grudges in heaven. Heaven is a Grudge Free Zone. And most importantly we will forgive ourselves. Often that is much more difficult than forgiving someone else.
Spring Of Life