forget

Dr. Harold Urey, Nobel prize winner in Chemistry, was walking along a sidewalk one day when he ran into another professor. They chatted for a few minutes, then, as they parted, Dr. Urey asked the other, "John, which way was I going when I met you?" "That way," said the other, pointing. "Oh, good. That means I've already had my lunch," muttered the professor as he walked away.

I have to confess to being somewhat absent-minded myself. That's one of the advantages of growing older -- every year, I have a more acceptable excuse for forgetting things. I forget where I've left my keys, I forget others' names, and perhaps most irritating of all, I sometimes forget where I've left the remote control for the TV (how in the world did people ever cope with having to get up to change the channel? -- but that's another subject)!

All of those forgotten things bother me, but what bothers me even more is that I have a tendency to forget God. Not so much when times are rough (I need Him then!), but when times are good. God knew that might happen. That's why He warned the Israelites before they entered the land of Canaan:

"Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God..lest -- when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt." (Deuteronomy 8:11-14a).

Would you forget your head if it wasn't screwed on tight? Just don't forget who your Head is!

-alan smith