When I was in middle school and high school, I loved participating in extemporaneous speech meets, and I loved acting in plays. If my dad were alive, he would say I was a drama queen and wanted to be the center of attention. Actually, he would refer to me as "Sarah Bernhardt." The Divine Sarah lived from 1844 until 1923 and was often called "the most famous actress the world has ever known,"1 and "the most famous actress of the 19th century."2 She was known for her tendency to over exaggerate and be dramatic.
My father's assessment may be partly right, but my pleasure came from more than just being on the stage. I cherished the excitement of seeing the props magically appear before my eyes. I loved the behind-the-scene sounds of stage workers scurrying about during rehearsals, ensuring that every piece of equipment and ever curtain worked as it should. Working with my peers to bring a play's characters and the story to life was an extraordinary experience.
Running lines and memorizing my specific part challenged me, but when I delivered my part perfectly, I was thrilled. At 16 and 17 years old, I found memorizing page upon page of dialogue fairly easy.
Now that I have moved into the seniors category, I have discovered that memorizing anything is extremely difficult. Even when I finally think I have committed something to memory, I find that a month later, my recall is just not what it used to be at 17. I can remember trivia and factoids I have learned in the past, but I do not do well recalling newly retained information.
I write this as an encouragement to young adults and young parents. While your memories are quick and while your children are young and their brains are like sopping sponges ready to soak up every drop of truth, commit Scripture to your hearts and their minds. Teach your children verse after verse of God's Word.
In the book, "the Word of God in the Child of God," Dr. George Zemek teaches us specifically through reflections on Psalm 119 that a child of God commits the Word of God to his or her heart. God's teachings are precious and are worthy of our memorization efforts.
Psalm 119:2 tells us that "those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart" are blessed. Unless we memorize God's profound teachings, we will not know His commands and precepts.
If we have committed His Word to our hearts, we can follow His ways. We will not put ourselves to shame because we will consider all of His commands. Psalm 119:9 says that a young person can stay on the path of purity by living according to God's Word. Verse 11 tells us that if His Word is hidden in our hearts, we will not sin against Him.
Rejoice with the psalmist! Meditate on God's precepts and consider His ways always! Come to know our precious Lord by not neglecting His Word. Take Proverbs 22:6 seriously:
NIV - "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it."
KJV - "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Dear Heavenly Father,
May we teach our children and our grandchildren all about you. May we encourage them to commit your Word to memory, to hide it in their hearts, so when they are old, it is there for safe-keeping and recall. May we also diligently learn your ways, regardless of how old we are. May we honor you and praise you by doing this. Amen.
2. Golden, Eve. "From Stage to Screen: The Film Career of Sarah Bernhardt". http://www.classicimages.com/past_issues/view/?x=1997/june/bernhard.html. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
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