Admittedly, I Am Mr. Forgetful

I just turned 71 and have become Mr. Forgetful.  For example, I often frustratingly forget where I placed my mobile phone.  And, as we all know, we feel we cannot live without our phones.  It is our wherever-we-go traveling partner.  Why have a mind, all the information needed is in my mobile phone!  Ugh!  I even have an audible alarm set in the scheduler residing in my phone to let me know what I need to do during the day.  Why?  Because I am so blasting forgetful.

This reminds me of a story told in scripture about ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19.  ¹¹ Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him.   They stood at a distance ¹³ and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” ¹⁴ When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Ten lepers (an ugly, contagious, incurable disease at that time) cried out loudly to Jesus from a distance requesting Him to heal them.  He told them to go show themselves to priests who would declare their healing to society.  Each of these priests were healed as they took steps of faith toward the priests.  Jesus had miraculously healed them.  Nine of these guys were caught up with themselves and their good fortune and forgot Who had healed them.  It became a huge look-what-happened-to-me moment.  A Samaritan who the Jews hated alone remembered Jesus and returned humbly confessing his thankfulness and praise to his Healer.  This dear brother not only received physical healing he was healed spiritually receiving the gift of eternal life.

I find myself being judgmental towards the nine.  Yet, I am convicted.  Am I like the nine who forget the wonderful things Jesus does in my daily life?  Or, am I like the one who remembered his Great Physican and returned with a thankful heart full of praise?  Psalms 103:2-5 presents each of us with a challenge, “²Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—³ who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, ⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things.”  I may be Mr. Forgetful but I pray that I will remember my precious Lord and Savior in the daily moments of life.  Join in with me as we daily remember Him not forgetting His Goodness.