Thursday 16 September 2021

Memory versus forgetting in old age

It is especially a feature of Old Age (from the early fifties, typically) that some have a strong memory while others forget - some live in the past, others in the now.

I believe that those who survive to old age do so for a reason - they are sustained by God to learn something important to them. 

Crudely put, to acknowledge and repent their sins, but perhaps a particular sin which threatens salvation - which may provoke them to reject resurrection and Heaven, to refuse to follow Jesus after death.

Everybody who is alive, remains alive for Reasons - and these reasons are spiritual, and these reasons shape our situation.

One who has a strong memory and lives in the past probably has something in need of acknowledging and repenting. Not to feel Guilt for sin (feeling which is akin to fear and itself a sin indicating lack of faith), but to recognise, and ask God for forgiveness.

One who forgets, and whose disposition is to live in present and future, might need to examine motivations. 

One whose drive diminishes and motivations dwindle, may be being encouraged to set aside hopes placed in worldly plans and schemes.

in sum, our actual situation and condition are shaped by The Creator so that we have the best possible chance to learn what we most need  - need Spiritually. 

We Are Alive for reasons, all of us - and learning the reasons is a vital aspect of why we are still alive.

3 comments:

Lucinda said...

It's a matter of trust to say, "a particular thing I did or am doing or want to do is not really good, but I still value whatever is truly good in my life even if my limited perspective cannot imagine the good without the bad."

Maybe this is one reason it is difficult to imagine heaven, since so much of what we are accustomed to is in a mixture; we throw out the bath water, but we are glad the baby is clean, if we can manage to not throw him out too!

The difficulty is more pronounced given the idea of eternal living life, which is maybe why so many simply give up on the idea.

Doktor Jeep said...

The older I get the less I bother to remember.

Bruce Charlton said...

@DJ. For some old people, Not remembering isn't an option.