Eleven

Memorization - some people are great at it, others are not. I think I fall somewhere in the middle.

I have never had a problem memorizing some things. For example, I can memorize song lyrics with no problem. I've always been good at that. Once I memorize a song, it's in my head forever. Believe me. I'll give you every word to "Bust-A-Move" right now if you want me to.

On the other hand, there are some things that I have a really hard time committing to memory. For example, anything to do with arithmetic. I could never memorize formulas or any of the tables. That was always very difficult for me. Math, in general, is not a strong subject with me. Why memorize when you have a calculator?

(At this point I'd like to mention that a calculator can't help you with "Bust-A-Move" lyrics. This proves that it is more necessary to memorize "Bust-A-Move" than it is to memorize the square root of 5781).

Sometimes, at our jobs, we are required to memorize certain things. Often, we memorize things almost by accident, just because of the constant repetition of doing the same thing over and over.

I was shocked during my most recent visit to McDonald's. I usually drive through McDonald's on my day off as I am out running errands by myself. I have to go then because my wife despises McDonald's and I can never go when she is with me. I don't really blame her...I admit, it's pretty disgusting. But, for some reason, I keep going back.

I pulled up to the drive through and was greeted with the usual, "Can I help you?"

I said, "Yes, I'd like a number eleven with a Sprite." I only drink clear liquids ever since my kidney stone incident (just in case you were wondering why I would order a Sprite instead of the obvious Coke).

The McEmployee said, "What's a number eleven?"

I wasn't sure I heard the question right, so I said, "Excuse me?"

She said, "What's a number eleven?"

I thought to myself, "What's a number eleven? Seriously? How could she not know this? I have ordered a number eleven many, many, many times in my life and I have never, NOT ONCE, been asked to explain what a number eleven is!"

You see, I had always just assumed that the register the McEmployee uses is marked with huge numbers, each corresponding with a value meal number. Couldn't she just hit the big 11 on here key pad?

Then it hit me...maybe they all just have the value meal numbers memorized and when I say "number eleven", the McEmployee, due to the fact that he/she has heard a number eleven ordered a million times, automatically knows that a number eleven is a Fillet-O-Fish.

If this is the case, which I am assuming it must be, then either:

A. The person I was currently ordering from was really bad at memorizing the value meal menu, or...

B. This was the first time someone had actually ordered a number eleven from her.

I going with "A." Mainly because I don't want to believe I am the only one in the world who eats a Fillet-O-Fish on a regular basis. And, to be honest, I can picture myself being lousy at memorizing the value meal menu. So give her a break, will ya?

Anyway...I started thinking about this because I often get very frustrated with myself for being so lousy at scripture memory, too. At first glance, you would think that I would be good memorizing the Bible since it is "words" and not "numbers." I wish that was true. I even remember doing terrible at scripture memory contests that were held at VBS or Camp as a child.

Just as it is great to have a calculator as a reference for math problems, I feel fortunate that I live in a country where I have access to a Bible when I need scripture. But...I don't ever want to use the same excuse for not memorizing the Bible that I used for not memorizing math stuff.

"Who needs to memorize that formula? I've always got a calculator with me."

"Who needs to memorize that scripture? I've always got a Bible with me."

The real reason I don't memorize math stuff is because I don't care. I don't care enough about it to commit it to memory.

On the other hand, I do care about what God's Word says. Therefore, I should constantly be reading it, studying it, and focused on it. If that's the case, then it will become a permanent part of my memory. And that's important. Because, when the Word is in your heart, you will recall it at the most important times in your life. God will speak to you through it. Nobody will ever be able to take it away from you.