A few years ago one of our church members lost his memory after a horrific motorcycle accident. We were very hopeful it would return even if it was in small bits and pieces. It did not. I could not understand how he remembered language. He could still read and do math but did not know any of his family let alone those of us outside his immediate circle. The selectiveness of what he knew puzzled me.
I remembered him this week while doing a backup of my computer’s hard drive. Supposedly I will be able to restore my system and files if I have a crash. I found myself wishing we could plug our brains into a little box that would store our personalities and our past for restoration in case of a crash.
Basically that is what God does for us. In I Corinthians 15 Paul speaks of a resurrection and this mortal putting on immortality. I really don’t think we much want our old bodies back. Paul speaks of brand new eternal bodies with all our personalities and memories installed in a never dying brain. That sounds pretty terrific. I recently had an elementary student ask me if his head were traded with the head of the child sitting at the next desk, would he think the other child’s thoughts. I assured him he would still only think his own thoughts. Instead he would have a different body.
Our amazing God, who knows all, knows all our memories and as we age and forget He keeps them safe and secure for us. So the next time you can’t remember a friend’s name, just relax, this too shall pass. Old age and forgetfulness is a temporary condition. How grand!
Written by Roger Bothwell on June 23, 2011
Spring of Life Mnistry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org