I REMEMBER

Memory is a crucial thing and becomes more valuable as you age.  We seem to have an epidemic of memory disorders today ranging from various forms of dementia or Alzheimer’s, amnesia, and brain fog.  I believe there are some to don’t remember because they don’t want to.

This phenomenon came real to me when I suffered from fungus of the lungs and had brain fog.  It was as if the answer was just on the tip of my tongue.  It was as if I remembered I had a car and car keys but couldn’t remember how I got into the car seat.

This attack on the mind is so important that if your mind can’t remember how you did certain things it could forget how to breathe or speak and your biological systems can begin to shut down; imagine that.

Since my recovery from the brain fog I purposely force myself to go through the process of remembering things.  I make a conscious effort to go through the entire range of thoughts for things occurring in my daily life.  When I do this, I’m often surprised how many things I’ve forgotten but were key to the final results.  I also find there are things I wish to forget.

I was sharing the details of my healing from the fungus in my lungs to someone.  I shared how I changed my diet, started juicing, and about the great physicians, specialist, and holistic doctors that helped this happen.  Then a song came on the radio.  I love the song and the story began to play in my mind why it had such meaning to me.

I remember one day I was in my kitchen gagging and coughing, begging God to help me and I heard Him say to my spirit, sing.  I thought you must be joking, I can’t even breathe or talk, let alone sing.  The word and command came to my spirit again.  Being obedient, I wondered what I should sing, and the song on the radio came to mind.

It took weeks to be able to sing the first verse, only accomplished by many napkins, tissue wasn’t sturdy enough, and many interruptions of coughing spells.  In several months I could sing the song all the way through but at a lower octave range than I normally sang in. After 6 months, I was singing the song as I did before my sickness.  I used Google to search singing and found that in the UK it’s a common successful therapy for lung patients, even some with severe cases, to have the patients sing for therapy.  Look at how wise our God is and how innovative He was in my healing.  Now I often sing to keep the lungs exercised.

This is why the memory is so important.  When I remembered the details of how I sang that song, my eyes fill with tears.  Not just what the singing did but remembering what God did.  He was so detailed and precise in my healing that each aspect is important to the outcome.

I also remember the things that have made my life what it is, both the good and bad.  My life and strength are in the small details.  That’s why I think I am now striving to be a storyteller.  By rehearsing the facts of the events in my life, I hope I’m leaving an indelible impression on my mind and those who hear my story.

Remembering reminds me of how much God cares for me and I am reminded that there is no limit to what He will do for me to make me whole.

Do this exercise today, look back over a few events that have occurred in your life and remember them in their entirety.  I guarantee you’ll see there are things you’ve forgotten that happened but most important, you’ll see how important it is to remember because our memories are the songs of who we are.

I’m so glad I remembered.