I try to post a blog post each Monday. It keeps me on a schedule of purposeful writing and an attainable goal to strive to meet each week. June has been a crazy busy one for me. I have traveled more than ever. New York City, Baltimore, Haiti, North Carolina. My edits came back for my book with a tight deadline. Family decisions needed attention, quickly. There was a lot on my mind and schedule. I kept up with the blog until this week when I forgot to post my blog on Monday. On Tuesday I took the time to slow down and figure out what was consuming me. Some I can place on hold. Some I have to take care of now. I need to confront my spiritual amnesia first. While reflecting on the month past, I remembered a story from my trip to Haiti.
Each night on the trip we would share experiences we had during the day, something that touched us, something that was impactful. One of the teenage boys shared a story he heard from some of the Haitian teenagers.
The kids believe there is a tree at the airport the wipes away the memories of each person when they leave Haiti. The story goes that people come to Haiti with hopes of helping the people there. With hopes to forge lifetime relationships. The Americans fall in love with the culture and the people but when they get home the memories of Haiti quickly fade. They have mission trip amnesia forgetting to stay in touch or return to the country and people they fell in love with while there. They call the tree the forgetting tree.
I began to think about the times I walk past a forgetting tree in my spiritual life.
Forgetting the love of Christ.
Forgetting his mercies.
Forgetting his faithfulness.
Forgetting the hope he gives us.
How do we get rid of spiritual amnesia?
- Remember love. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love,” (John 15:9).
- Remember mercy. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved,” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
- Remember faithfulness. “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it,” (1Thessalonians 5:24).
- Remember hope. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope,” (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV).
I get wrapped up in the here and now. The tasks and struggles. During these times I forget to connect with Jesus. I try to do it all on my own. My spirit is depleted. My struggles increase. In remembering Jesus is the foundation of peace we can get rid of our spiritual amnesia by remembering. He overcomes. Chop down the Forgetting Tree. Replant it with a Remembering Tree, walk by it every day!
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33).
