The Memory of an Elephant?
Have you ever heard the expression–the memory of an elephant? I have. In fact, when I was growing up, my family would often say that I have the memory of an elephant. I never really gave it much thought, but did know that I had a good memory, especially for important dates like birthdays. To this day, my mom will still call me if she needs to know someone’s birthday, anniversary, etc. Elephants apparently excel in long-term memory, perhaps because of the size of their brain. Thus, the saying—the memory of an elephant.
Remembering
In my writing, I often return to the topic of remembering and just how important it is. When it comes to faith, it can make or break you. One story in particular from the book of Exodus always makes me shake my head. That is, until I realize that I’m no different.
A Miracle Forgotten
To summarize, the Israelites, who were enslaved in Egypt, experienced the miracle of miracles when God delivered them from the hands of the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea. Yes, He stopped the flow of water long enough for them to cross to the other side. The Egyptian chariots, in hot pursuit, followed them into the sea and were drowned. A mere forty-five days after witnessing and being part of such a miracle, the Israelites were grumbling. They were hungry and miserable and longed to go back to Egypt where they were slaves. In their misery, their memories were slightly distorted.
“If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”
Exodus 16:3 NIV
Faith is Fed (or Starved) by Our Memory
The Israelite memories of their previous life don’t exactly indicate a life of slavery, do they? Perhaps they embellished. They were only a month-and-a-half removed from one of the greatest miracles of all time and this was what they remembered. Apparently, the Israelites did NOT have the memory of an elephant!
I tend to be hard on the Israelites. How could they forget what God had just done for them? And then I realize that I am no less guilty.
The Circumstances
Earlier this year, I wrote about a few miracles of my own leading up to my daughter’s wedding. That was roughly seven months ago. I hit a speed bump with my own health four months later and have been on a mission ever since to get to the bottom of that. If you read my last post, you know that in my quest for answers, another, more important, issue was discovered. Just a few days ago I gave consent to a neurosurgeon to perform laminoplasty to relieve the pressure on my spinal cord caused by severe stenosis.
Choosing Where to Focus
God has a perfect track record when it comes to faithfulness. I know that and hopefully you do too. Yet, when faced with a crisis, it’s easy to dwell on our current circumstances and allow doubt and fear to creep into our hearts and minds. Rather than focusing on God’s faithfulness in the past, the Israelites were consumed by their current discomfort. I’m not so different. Are you?
His Faithfulness
If you, like me, are staring down some challenges at the moment, let’s vow to tap into our inner elephant and remember His faithfulness in the past. May that give us the courage to step into our future full of faith that He will see us through this challenge as well.
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23 NIV
(I am listening to old choir music as I put the finishing touches on this post. Though simple, one of my all-time favorites that I sang with the church choir is “He Will See You Through.” Perhaps that is because there always seems to be some challenge that I need Him to see me through! Guess what song just played? Yep! That was NOT a coincidence–God is good.)