ESCAPE ROOM OF THE MIND: LOCKED IN

Escape Rooms are prevalent in our area. I've been to two different ones. Each time I could not wait to get out. 

Escape Rooms tend to have a cloud of "C" words. Competition! Claustrophobia! Two nouns not favored by me.

Much in the Escape Room is recognizable---books, puzzles, desk, chair, even color of fabrics or area rugs. But not the clue needed to unlock the door.

My mind has been similar to those experiences lately. Much familiar resides there but NAMES seemed to be locked up tight! 

Recently driving by a street off Poplar, I knew it led to a another street, whose name I knew, a 2-story house I would recognize, the occupations of the UM professors I once knew who lived there & their son's face came to mind. But......nary a name of any of the three.

Why are names so difficult to recall these days? Is it on an "age-related disease" list? 

Forgetfulness? Dementia?

Even hubby had an episode recently---unable to recall daughter's name or any of his grandkids. His diagnosis was Transient Global Amnesia and is a temporary ailment.

The good news is that the One who created us knows not only our name, but says "Fear not....(and) summons us by name saying, you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1) He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out." (John 10:3) He also calls the stars by name. (Psalm 148:3)

Our Lord has access to all things and and shares with us according to His will and good purpose. We (I) need to trust Him as my memory is sometimes locked in! 

Mind Minder

Scripture is a great "minder" for the mind. 

Mama Davenport often used the word "mind"as a verb----in the imperative form.

"Mind" the cracks so you don't trip, she would say. Her intent was for one to be careful about something or pay attention to it.

On the old British TV series, "Keeping Up Appearances," Hyacinth Bucket (snobbishly, she pronounced it Bouquet) was always nagging her husband, as he drove her around, to "mind the pedestrian." "Watch out for "was her meaning for "mind."

So....for me, a mind minder is one who pays attention to their mind as if to watch out for it. In capturing thoughts, that can be a positive. If it becomes "worry/anxiety," one needs to turn it over to the Lord. Just yesterday in my Jesus Calling devotional,  I had read about "pockets of darkness" and thought that was an apt description of my mind.

After writing yesterday's Dotsy Details' blog entry, I flipped the page on my kitchen table Jesus Calling DayBrightener to the day's entry (6/10) & read:

"Rest in Me, My child. Give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen..."

What a great reminder to rest in Him and allow Him to "mind" my mind.

I give my mind to Him and He becomes my "mind minder."

MEMORY LEAKS!

Sometimes a character in a book will resonate with a reader on a personal level. Such was the case for me with Aunt Love in The Scent of Lilacs.  Though Aunt Love could spout scripture with chapter and verse reference from days of old, she had trouble coming up with names. (Even more with 2022 Escape room /Locked Mind--almost 6 years after posting this entry!)
"I don't know what's the matter with me," she says. (p. 204)
Her niece Jocie attributed it to "memory leaks" ---though you wouldn't notice her condition by just looking at her. According to her, Aunt Lucy had been "misplacing more and more of her mind lately, but that didn't stop her from pulling out appropriate Bible verses to attempt to keep 13 year old Jocie in line." (p. 8)
Oh, how I can relate to Aunt Love's "mental malady." 

I kept "forgetting" to take a picture of the book....
....until  I was headed to the book drop---oh my!

But God....reminds me to "be anxious for nothing" (Philippians 4:6) and just like Aunt Love, I might be able cite chapter and verse, I just need to "remember" to use it in my own life,