A Pastoral Word. . . Strategic Forgetfulness
Pastor Kevin Freeman
November 21, 2024
This time of year we often help one another to remember to be thankful, but thankfulness also involves being forgetful. Forgetfulness is exactly what happened to Mitchell and Jenna almost four years ago. According to People, Jenna broke up with Mitchell, ending their dating relationship. Mitchell, however, went skiing the following day and suffered a significant accident on the slopes. He was diagnosed with a concussion.
Because of his injury, Mitchell did not recall that Jenna had broken up with him. She was the one Mitchell asked to pick him up from the ski resort, and he continued to contact her in the weeks that followed. Jenna recalled her confusion, wondering, “Why is he messaging me this? I just broke up with him.” On one occasion, Jenna blew off Mitchell’s offer to spend time with her, stating that she and her college roommates had all had a hard day. She was impressed when he arrived to drop off ice cream for them all!
Mitchell’s continued thoughtfulness impressed Jenna enough that she began to reevaluate her decision to end their relationship. She decided to ask him if they could start a dating relationship again. “After hanging out with friends,” Jenna shared, “we chatted in the evening, and I asked to get back together with him. That was when I realized he had no clue we even broke up.” Mitchell found the matter humorous, declaring that it was quite easy to restart a dating relationship that he did not realize had ended! That same year, the couple wed and have now been married four years.
Mitchell was not the only forgetful person in the relationship. Jenna willingly chose to forget her reasons for not dating Mitchell; she was able to reflect on the more admirable aspects of his character and personality.
We frequently forget things, but we can employ “strategic forgetfulness,” a gift from God that drives us toward thankfulness. In Philippians, Paul reminds us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Turning anxiety-inducing matters over to God in gratitude that He hears us, gives us space to receive His peace and to direct our thoughts to more worthwhile things. Paul continues, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
This type of response mirrors our “forgetful” God, who chooses to not remember our sins (see Isaiah 38:17 and 43:25). Instead, our omniscient Lord views Christ-followers not through a lens of sin but through the righteousness applied to us by faith in Christ.
Aren’t you thankful that God sees us this way?
Your Partner in Ministry,
Kevin Freeman
Because of his injury, Mitchell did not recall that Jenna had broken up with him. She was the one Mitchell asked to pick him up from the ski resort, and he continued to contact her in the weeks that followed. Jenna recalled her confusion, wondering, “Why is he messaging me this? I just broke up with him.” On one occasion, Jenna blew off Mitchell’s offer to spend time with her, stating that she and her college roommates had all had a hard day. She was impressed when he arrived to drop off ice cream for them all!
Mitchell’s continued thoughtfulness impressed Jenna enough that she began to reevaluate her decision to end their relationship. She decided to ask him if they could start a dating relationship again. “After hanging out with friends,” Jenna shared, “we chatted in the evening, and I asked to get back together with him. That was when I realized he had no clue we even broke up.” Mitchell found the matter humorous, declaring that it was quite easy to restart a dating relationship that he did not realize had ended! That same year, the couple wed and have now been married four years.
Mitchell was not the only forgetful person in the relationship. Jenna willingly chose to forget her reasons for not dating Mitchell; she was able to reflect on the more admirable aspects of his character and personality.
We frequently forget things, but we can employ “strategic forgetfulness,” a gift from God that drives us toward thankfulness. In Philippians, Paul reminds us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Turning anxiety-inducing matters over to God in gratitude that He hears us, gives us space to receive His peace and to direct our thoughts to more worthwhile things. Paul continues, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
This type of response mirrors our “forgetful” God, who chooses to not remember our sins (see Isaiah 38:17 and 43:25). Instead, our omniscient Lord views Christ-followers not through a lens of sin but through the righteousness applied to us by faith in Christ.
Aren’t you thankful that God sees us this way?
Your Partner in Ministry,
Kevin Freeman
Source: https://people.com/woman-marries-man-who-sustained-a-concussion-and-forgot-they-broke-up-exclusive-8740681
Image: Photography by Tasha Rose
Image: Photography by Tasha Rose
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