Forgetful

It was just before 4:00 a.m. when I awoke and the first thing I thought was, “Oh, no!  This is Thursday and I did not write a Thursday’s Thirst for today!”  It was sort of ironic because for the first couple years I had gotten up at 4:00 a.m. every Thursday to write and sent it.  However, this morning I was not about to get up.  I rolled over and said, “Hopefully I won’t be so forgetful later in the day.”
 
After those first few years I switched and started writing on Wednesday evening.  This was easier – removing the 7:00 a.m. deadline pressure I had been feeling every Thursday morning.  However, there was a new challenge.  Since it was being programmed for delivery on Thursday morning, whenever I mentioned things that had happened on Wednesday I needed to refer to the day as yesterday.  As you can imagine in this regard, my pattern of being forgetful this week is nothing new. (If you really want to know how forgetful I can be, ask Monica sometime about our first wedding anniversary!)
 
At least I have not been forgetful of something this week that has a little higher priority on my calendar that Thursday’s Thirst.  Today is Monica’s birthday.  I encouraged her to sleep in and had her card out for her to open when she arose.  The girls came up with the idea of singing Happy Birthday to her as she arrived at their house this morning (they did a great job).  The celebration that started with us at Comerica Park on Tuesday and will continue through tomorrow seems to be off to a great start.

In all of my home visits this month my theme has also been forgetfulness … how easy it is for me to forget the great benefits freely giving to me (and you) by Christ Jesus.  King David in Psalm 103 offers us a short list to prompt our remembering.  I will save you from hearing my commentary and just let you mediate on your own what he has to say.
 
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. … The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.  He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgression from us.” (103.1-5, 8-12)
 
I particularly like the line about redeeming my life from the pit because that is the time when I tend to be the most forgetful.  His promise is clear.  Whenever we find ourselves in the pits, he not only locates us, but he also climbs into the pit with us and hoists us out.
 
My goal when I arose this morning was to get this out before 4:00 p.m.  It is now approaching 12:30 p.m. and I am ready to send it out.  Rather than making any claims or promises about being less forgetful in the future I will simply close by echoing David of old: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits!”  Have a great day as I get back to focusing upon some other priorities.