The past few days have brought a welcome relief from the bitter cold of the last couple weeks. Although it’s January and we can expect such conditions, few of us get used to extreme temperatures.
It was for this type of weather that we grew and canned vegetables last summer. Experience assures us that crops don’t grow in winter and we need to make provision beforehand to survive the harsh months.
God has also revealed these truths to animals which, by instinct, stock up for winter. Solomon observed 3000 years ago that ants store up in the abundant summer months to endure times of scarcity to come.
Although many birds migrate and some animals, like bears and groundhogs, hibernate to avoid facing winter, other critters continue to forage for whatever they can find. Prolonged periods of snow, ice, and cold take their toll on wildlife as food becomes difficult to obtain.
God has gifted squirrels and some birds, however, with the unique ability to store food during the fall to be prepared for weeks like these past few. Scientists have discovered that God has so wired the brains of squirrels to remember many different compartments enabling them to locate nuts they buried months before.
Another such animal is Clark’s Nutcracker. This bird can hide as many as 500 seeds per hour and return months later to dig them out, even from under heavy snow. Research has revealed that they can remember at least 10,000 different locations in which they have stashed their snacks.
We often joke about bird brains but it’s obvious many animals have abilities that put ours to shame. We’ve become so dependent on technology that we fail to exercise our own minds to recall basic information. Even worse is when we spend inordinate amounts of time searching for keys we have “mislaid.”
I am a list-maker and note-taker. If I don’t write things down, they often migrate with the songbirds, never to return. Thankfully, I can still recall where I’ve stored my food as my growing waistline demonstrates.
God has, however, created humans too with amazing capacities to remember. I’ve met individuals who have not only memorized entire books of the Bible, but some who can recite several books. They explain it as a matter of self-discipline and priority.
Other people may have a special gift which we sometimes call a photographic memory. They see images or hear facts and they are cemented in their mind in a way that can be quickly recalled. Such individuals are particularly beneficial to have as Trivial Pursuit teammates.
Much of our memory develops around events and information that are important to us. Most of us are more apt to remember sports statistics if we’re an avid fan or ancestors’ names if we’re into genealogy. So too, the more time and interest we show to God’s Word, the more of it sticks in our minds even if we don’t intentionally memorize it.
The Psalmist says in 119:93, “I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have preserved my life,” and God told His people to put His commands on the doorways of their homes and to tie them on their hands and foreheads to keep from forgetting them. Although He created us with incredible capacities to remember, He knows how prone we are to forget.
Thankfully, the One who created the incredible memories of squirrels and nutcrackers has the best memory of all. God’s memory is perfect and He has promised not to forget any of us. He has inscribed His children’s names on His hand and His heart and we never have to worry about Him failing to recall our names or our situations and needs.
As we contemplate the wonderful gift of memory during these chilly winter days, may we praise God for it and use our own to recall His Words as well as His goodness. Remembering His blessings, George