There she was, Naomi, teeny-tiny and sleeping peacefully in the baby carriage. Her parents are our friends, so of course, my husband and I went to meet Naomi. I stood there looking at the newborn and smiling. A flood of memories bombarded me. Naomi is adorable, no doubt about that, and a good baby, I can see that too; however, my mind became discombobulated. Surely our daughters were never that small.
Memory has it that our children were at least three times that size at birth. "Naomi was born weighing 6 pounds and 3 ounces," said new mommy, Thanya. My brain did a minor calculation and realized that was only a few ounces less than our second daughter.
OK, I know memory is malleable, but it's only been about 25 years. Can I already forget that our children were small?
The picture I have wallpapered on my memory is of independent, strong and on-the-go kids. I can barely keep up with them. Moreover, I am pretty sure they were born that way. Maybe, if I dig into the depths of my memory archives, I can vaguely remember sitting somewhere quietly and breastfeeding them, because I advocate of nursing; however, even that memory includes a motorcycle or snowboard revving or swishing nearby.
The power to remember is our memory. This is a power we don't want to lose. Scientists are realizing that memory can be exercised or kept in shape. So, we are encouraged to read and do crossword puzzles. I can read. But, I can't do crossword puzzles, unless the clue is really clear, like: spell c-a-t.
Anyway, for the very reason pliable memories are a fact, I read Scripture with healthy skepticism. Whether we want to admit it or not, Scripture is being filtered by our "power to remember." We use our memory to read, or listen. This is why the same verse can mean different things at different times, or why the Bible is interpreted differently between people. What we are learning is affected by past activities and experiences _ by our memories.
Memories are morphing constantly. Normally, I try to forget the junk and remember the good times. Sometimes, when I am grumpy, I recall only the bad and forget the good. There are the times when a selective memory kicks in. For example, I can remember to eat a snack but not take out the garbage.
When it comes to my spiritual search for a healthy memory, I come across statements in the Bible about God remembering characters such as Noah, Abraham, or Rachel (Genesis 8:1, 19:29, 30:22). It's real nice to learn God remembered Noah and saved him from floating indefinitely in the ark after the flood; or that God remembered Abraham, and saved his beloved nephew Lot; or remembered Rachel, who then conceived a child and was no longer barren.
I can remember this nice God when I feel flooded with problems, or our kids are not with us, or when I am feeling unproductive. It gives me hope to think God will remember and help me. But, reading more in the Bible, I find even a better picture of God; a God who forgets wrongdoings. "I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." (Jeremiah 31:34)
But, so as not to delude myself, I must read the Bible further, because any thinking person with an ounce of memory knows it is ridiculous to assume there is a God who lets us get away with hurting ourself or others while he remembers us in time of need.
Interestingly, the whole concept of memory and God can enlarge into a conscious powerful knowing. From Jeremiah, "No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord."
I take this to mean that God is more than a mind that remembers or forgets but a mind that knows. Mind, God, knows only that which is good, otherwise to know lack would imply forgetting plenty. This logic is supported in divine Science, or Christian Science. And, because God isn't lost, no faculty of mind is lost, including memory. The logic gives me the credible ability to affirm that I do not have to lose my memory. I can remember that I know a spiritual God and I know myself, my children, and others, as God's image. This is a good starting point to remembering what I need to know during the day. And, I do know Naomi is bringing her parents an ocean of joy.
Cheryl Petersen is author of "21st Century Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." She writes on Christian Science from Delhi.
Columns
Knowing God and memory
- Big Chuck D'Imperio
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Safety Patrol D.C. visits never get old
I asked Cam Morris, head of Eastern Travel/Oneonta Bus Lines, how many years her company has been handling the Safety Patrol trip to Washington, D.C.
Continued ... - My pal Brucie, savior of Sidney's hospital
- Catching a whiff of 'Vermont Vapor'
- Selections from the virtual mailbag
- Recalling days of 'Doughnut King'
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Safety Patrol D.C. visits never get old
- Cary Brunswick
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We've become our own worst enemies
The past month has been marked by a seeming unprecedented number of man-made tragedies, as distinct from those caused by violent outbursts of the natural world, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis.
Continued ... - Plenty of blame to go around for Bangladesh horror
- Obama is going against his word on Social Security
- Reflecting on a Florida trip
- Those magnificent spies in their flying machines
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We've become our own worst enemies
- Chuck Pinkey
- Guest Column
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Records seizure is an insult to free press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
Continued ... - The evangelical view of same-sex marriage
- Manor's fate will be Otsego board's legacy
- A closer look at our economy - Part II
- Use fracking to fill budget gaps
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Records seizure is an insult to free press
- Lisa Miller
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A view from above
Fire towers in the Catskill Mountains have always been destination points, built to capture some of the region’s best views. These sentinel stations served an important role for the earliest possible sightings of forest fires in the remote mountain ranges. But the fire towers and those who manned them fulfilled a multitude of other roles as well.
Continued ... - Being a parent is a constant learning process
- Healthy doesn't have to mean expensive
- A family era ends with close of Potter series
- Independent stores make up for loss of Borders
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- Mark Simonson
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General Clinton Canoe Regatta got a new home in 1972
Ever since 1963, when Charles Hinkley and a group of Tri-Town businessmen came up with the idea for what we know today as the General Clinton Canoe Regatta, people lined the shores of the Susquehanna to watch the canoeists as they made their 70-mile trek from Cooperstown to Bainbridge.
Continued ... - Sunday movies in Oneonta finally shown in 1934
- Politics, fitness and landmarks dominated local news in May 1968
- Local people sought income in many ways in 1933
- Local windstorm in 1983 caused tense moments
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- Rick Brockway
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Kids have sparkle in their eyes
When I was in my teens, old Bill Naatz told me about a stream north of Lake George where a man had panned out enough gold to make his wife a wedding band. It was all rumors, but to his grandson and myself, it sounded like the makings of a great adventure.
- People make the outdoors even better
- Turkey season has ups and downs
- Spring air isn't always the freshest
- Adriondacks keep growing and growing
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Kids have sparkle in their eyes
- Sam Pollak
- William Masters
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Schreibman tops Chris Gibson on women's issues
As the time to vote draws near, we need to remember how money can run politics more than we can. Raising funds is a prominent (if not the dominant) task of getting elected. Raising issues is also crucial, but those efforts are subject to distortion and fear-mongering.
- Republicans feelentitled to allthey can garner An entitlement is a legal benefit available from the government to individuals who are within a defined category of recipients, such as needing insurance for unemployment or health services.
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Romney focuses on self; Obama emphasizes unity
Mitt Romney criticizes President Obama for saying a person's success is rooted in his community, and is not all his alone. Romney belittles this with his belief in individual initiative. He is better at the put-down than the push-up.
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Romney shows little regard for common man
The Republicans in Congress have voted over and over, 33 times, redundantly and uselessly, to rescind what they call Obamacare.
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Scouts' gay ban creates problem where none exists
The Boy Scouts of America's "emphatic reaffirmation" of its vow to exclude any and all homosexuals from its hallowed ranks is ill-considered and pathetic, especially in view of its having reviewed the matter for two years.
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Schreibman tops Chris Gibson on women's issues
