HOW COULD I....FORGET

 First it was my handphone.

 I just couldn't remember where I had put it; it must have been the food that distracted me so much.  I was at a Christian pot-bless fellowship, celebrating a brother's "house-warming" as well as get-together with  my street ministry volunteers.  There was so much food, I was going for second and third helpings of pasta, fried rice, beehoon, chicken, roast duck, rendang, salads, and desserts. The apartment was on the 13th floor, which accorded a very good view of the glorious sun-set, overlooking busy streets with shops lit up as night fell.      

 

I finally found my handphone in my bag after all. It reminds me of the well-known cartoon about the old grandpa who's searching high and low for his spectacles, only to have his young grandchild point at him, saying "they are on your head, grampa." An hour later, I was searching again, this time for my car-key, as it was time to leave. Well, obviously no one can call a car-key. So I looked in every nook and corner of the apartment, I checked and re-checked my bag many times.  Where could I have left it? I was sure I had put it into my bag after I parked at the very public lot of the condo building. Now I wasn't so sure. Hmmm, could I have left it in the car without locking it? My host offered to accompany me down. 

I was praying very hard as we walked to the parking lot. Phew, my car was still there. Straight away I tried the door on the driver side...it was locked. There was no key in the ignition. O no, now what...suddenly the brother called out,  "Hey, your key is here." I went over to where he stood in front of the car . And sure enough, there was my car key, sitting (very obviously) on the - car bonnet. I was totally

flabbergasted. It had been there in full public view for 3 hours. God knows how many people had passed up and down and surely would have seen it. Anyone could have just taken hold of it and driven away my brand new (2 months old) car. And I only have myself to blame. I was horrified at my own carelessness. I don't even remember how the key got there in the first place. And most of all I was so unspeakably thankful, grateful for God's angels who must have been guarding my car. Lately I have felt led to pray protection over all my family, our possessions, relationships,  homes, work, finances, everything down to our coming in and going out. How faithful my God is to cover us under the shadow of His wings.

I tell myself I really must train my mind to remember. It's not only things I forget, I also tend to forget names and faces. So I am always very embarrassed when I meet people who remember me and address me by name, but  I honestly can't place who they are. It took me some years to remember all the names of the 20 odd Orang Asli children I teach weekly, and I still forget some to this day. Now I have got a new batch and I am struggling to recall who is who. It doesn't help when they are so naughty they purposely mis-identify themselves, just to have some fun with "teacher." 

I also can't remember places. I am what I call "directionally challenged." Even with waze or google , I can get quite lost. I am hopeless at reading maps, and even worse with estimating distances. I never know what's 100 or 300 meters. So I am always either turning too early or too late, over-shooting the turn. I remember in my first attempts to use waze, I ended up literally in a cemetery. 

And these days I find I am even forgetting what day it is. Just a couple of weeks ago, I actually forgot to go teach my weekly bible class to "my" OA kids. I thought it was a Monday, when it was already Tuesday. So it was a case of teacher "ponteng" class, instead of the other way round. I think it's something retired folks kinda slip into. Because we are retired, all our days have become "same same." So it doesn't make much difference what day of the week it is. Except for major festivals, I don't even know when/why it's a public holiday anymore. 

Is it age catching up? I guess. But I also know some not-that-old frens who have problems remembering where they put stuff which were in their hands just minutes ago. Or when this or that happened. So it can't just be age. 

Whatever. I can forget car keys, handphones, faces, and days. Sure these are important;  still, forgetting such stuff merely results in inconveniences to me. But there's something absolutely essential I keep reminding myself never ever to forget.  

It was mother's day when I misplaced my car key at nite. I had already been "celebrated" in the morning in church with the usual tribute, prayers and gifts. Of course it's right to appreciate the "universal queen" who gave birth to every child on planet earth.But as I stood up front, I could see some young people in the congregation wiping away tears. I guess they must be remembering the mothers in their lives. After the service, I held my usual bible class with the children from a KL home. I asked them how they felt about mother's day. Some looked blankly back at me, some shrugged, two brothers said they never knew their mother. I asked further if their parents had ever said I love you, or Sorry, to them. Almost all shook their heads. I felt so sad for them. And I am sure there are many others like them; children of this generation and children of the previous generations who are now grown into adults who have never heard those words. Like me for one. I don't blame my parents; it's just not their "way." 

I know some people who would rather skip church on festive occasions like mother's or father's day, precisely because they really can't "buy" into the celebration bit, because for them, there's nothing, no reason to celebrate really. Especially if they come from broken homes, or are orphans. Much as I understand the outpouring of heart-felt appreciation for parents, I feel for those whose experiences are simply outside the norm. 

So I told the kids I can't be their mom, but I can pray and bless them with the love of a God that is greater than any earthly parent; who never leaves nor forsakes them, who has their best interests at heart, and will always take care of them, no matter what happens or does not happen in their lives - the One Christians  call our Abba Father in heaven. And that's the one essential thing in my life I cannot, must not, forget....the perfect love of God in Christ Jesus, that has been poured forth into my life just some 20 years ago when I was a very grown-up adult, that keeps me in perfect peace, right into in my old age, even when the whole world is being turned upside down, even when there are many other things I forget. 

"You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." - Isaiah 26:3 

"Even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save." - Isaiah 46:4