“Mom, I have too many memories crowding my brain. It’s why it’s hard to learn new stuff.”
These were the words of my oldest son as we worked through our daily reading exercise yesterday.
He’s seven. I mean, how crowded could his brain be? But I guess since he knows all the names of the Pokémon characters… he’s got some storage built up in there.
“I want to lose some of what’s in my head to make room for more,” he said.
Oh man, I know the feeling. At home, my phone tends to be an almost constant companion. My head is filled with news and stories and predictions and questions and… oh… the comment sections. Sometimes it feels like there is no room for anything more.
I guess I could use a little clean out too, son.
But though there are probably lots of useless things I could rid my brain of to make space for the new… there are definitely things I’d like not to forget. Particularly as the distance between me and the world outside my doors has expanded beyond arms length.
In the end of this time of social distancing, staying home, and masking up, I hope we have not forgotten some of the most important things we need to be human. I pray that the distance between us is not permanent and when it’s safe to shorten it once again, I pray we not forget or let slip away the things that really matter.
So pray with me:
Lord, help us not forget.
Help us not forget what it felt like to be
in a crowded Church
singing praise to you
our voices uniting in rhythmic prayer.
Help us not forget the feeling of
shaking hands with someone new
and looking them in the eye
and seeing the smile form on their lips.
Help us not forget what it sounds like
to hear dozens of kids lining the halls
shoulder to shoulder
drawn like magnets to each other
after a long holiday break.
Help us not forget that sometimes
all one needs is a hug
to right their day
and connect them back to You.
Right now, Lord, we need distance⠀
so that we can heal⠀
so that we can save each other.
But one day in the future
near or far away
Help us remember the connection
that feeds our souls
and reminds us of the Kingdom
You envision here on earth.
Amen
⠀
