你是否曾有這樣的經歷，故事講到一半，卻不得不中斷，因為其中的某個細節，如名字或日期，你完全想不起來了。我們常將這種情形歸因於年齡增長，以致記憶衰退。但近期的研究卻並不支持這個看法。事實上，根據研究指出，問題並不是出在我們的記憶力，而是出在我們提取記憶的能力。如果沒有定期做某種回想的練習，就會更難喚起記憶。

要加強提取記憶的能力，其中一個方法就是定期安排某些活動或體驗，以喚起相關的回憶。我們的創造主也深知這一點，因此祂指示以色列民，每週都要安排一天來敬拜上帝與休息。這樣的喘息不僅能讓人們的身體得到休息，還是一個訓練頭腦的機會，讓我們回憶起「六日之內，耶和華造天、地、海和其中的萬物」（出埃及記20章11節），幫助我們記得有一位上帝，而我們並非主宰。

在忙碌的生活中，我們有時會忘記上帝為我們和他人所成就的事；忘記是誰一直看顧保守我們；忘記在感到疲憊與孤單的時候，祂應許會與我們同在。打破日常生活的規律，可以讓我們練習「提取記憶」，就是要下定決心，刻意停下腳步，記念我們的上帝，而且我們也「不可忘記祂的一切恩惠」（詩篇103篇2節）。

Have you ever been in the middle of telling a story and then stopped, stuck on a detail like a name or date you couldn’t recall? We often chalk it up to age, believing that memory fades with time. But recent studies no longer support that view. In fact, they indicate our memory isn’t the problem; it’s our ability to retrieve those memories. Without a regular rehearsal of some kind, memories become harder to access.

One of the ways to improve that retrieval ability is by regularly scheduled actions or experiences of recalling a certain memory. Our Creator God knew this, so He instructed the children of Israel to set aside one day a week for worship and rest. In addition to the physical rest that comes from such a respite, we gain an opportunity for mental training, to recall that “in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11). It helps us to remember there is a God, and it’s not us.   

In the rush of our lives, we sometimes lose our grip on the memories of what God has done for us and for others. We forget who keeps close watch over our lives and who promises His presence when we feel overwhelmed and alone. A break from our routine provides an opportunity for that needed “retrieval practice”—an intentional decision to stop and remember our God and “forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2).