There's Got To Be A Name For That?

Recently, I was a chronic victim of serial mental blocking where I was unable to recall the names of an author, a quarterback and a… well, I can’t quite remember right now but I think it was a 15^th century metaphysical philosopher and philanthropist who dabbled in painting and sculpture? I’ve got to believe that there is some technical terminology for this muddled mind jam that crusts over the memory synapses preventing them from firing and making contact with stored information in the cerebral cortex. Well, at least that’s what my mad scientist imagination assures me. Reality is that the older I get the more forgetful I become! So, what is the name for this geriatric defect? It’s not quite Alzheimer’s and it’s more than a brain burp… thanks to my googling fingers I’ve located a name for it: I suffer from Memory Block Effect –MBE. Now, I feel better that I have scientifically labeled my forgetfulness. There’s a certain serenity to be able to just acknowledge that I suffering from MBE… or is that MBC… no I’m confusing that with NBC… or is that NBA??? Well, so much for having a name for being unable to name whatever I can’t remember!

All this just reminds me how thankful I am for the Holy Spirit! You know… you’re praying along and you just can’t find the right words or even worse, you fall asleep and your narcoleptic prayer trails off… then the Holy Spirit steps in and intercedes with what we fail to express (Romans 8:26,27). God planned for our MBE! In fact He uses it to His glory and purpose for verse 27 assures us “…he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” We may have memory blocks but God assures us we will never have Spirit block. Okay, that’s great but I’m a little uncomfortable with it being labeled “groans that words cannot express (v.26).

Good! I’m glad we’re uncomfortable with the mystery and sovereignty of the divine that surpasses our knowledge and refuses to let us explain away His working and presence in our lives. Mankind has found it greatest weakness when it thought it knew it all or could explain it all. Can you say Babel? I thank God for MBE that reminds me how frail and temporal are all my ways and how much I depend and need the God who holds all things together through His Son! May God enrich me daily with the fullness of His grace and the intercession of His Spirit. -DAN