I forget a lot of things.

Assignments, birthdays, anniversaries, directions, etc. Things are just really easy to forget especially when we don't make it a point to remember them.

We live in this time where remembering is very important. We need to remember not to go certain places. We have to remember how to act in certain situations and how to treat certain people. We have to remember that you can never feel sorry for yourself or let your emotions show. Society truly has put such a stressor on remembering, because it isn't a matter of remembering someone's name but their skin color. It isn't a matter of remembering the road you need to turn right on, but the road you shouldn't go down because that isn't where you belong.

We worry so much about offending people or something happening that we never remember the things that matter. We don't remember to ask people how their day was or if something good happened to them. We don't remember to check on our friends when they're sick. We never remember a person's name much less their face.

We never want to remember our emotions or reactions. We never want to remember things that go wrong, but I think that we should.

I think that we should start putting an emphasis on remembering things we don't want to. We should try harder to remember things that with just the click of a button we can be reminded. We need to try harder to remember because we, ourselves, were never forgotten.

Isaiah 43 is such a powerful chapter in the Bible - if you haven't read it check it out. This passage reminds me a lot about how forgetful I can be because much like the Israelites, I forget that God has a purpose and a plan for my life. I forget that God called me, specifically by name, and that I am His.

The Israelites ran from God's goodness. They sought after the things of this world much like we still do today. It's a part of our human nature to forget and go after what is easy, but that isn't our purpose. It is easy to forget that even though we get lost in the wilderness God has made a path for us and is ready to guide us.

He is our Redeemer.

God is doing a new thing, even in our forgetfulness. Even in our doubt, he is restoring us and making us new. He continues to prepare a way for us, even on the days we forget to show love, grace, and acceptance. But because of His goodness, we need to remember our failures. Not so we can dwell on them, but so that we can realize the sweetness of being on the right path.