I was telling my teenagers the other day about the olden days of yore when we had a TV with no remote. They were stunned. NO REMOTE??

Then I thought I’d really impress them with my proficiency in “TV roughing it” and describe how we used to have to walk a mile to the TV to change the channel–through the ten foot snow–with no shoes–and how it was uphill both ways. They were much more impressed by the fact that we only had about four channels. How could we have possibly survived with only four channels (one of which was usually lame beyond words) and no videos?

I couldn’t even bring myself to tell them that when I was in first grade, we still only had black and white TV. I didn’t tell them about the vertical hold or the rabbit ears on my grandma’s TV with half a roll of foil hanging from them. I didn’t tell them about that little dot that used to stay in the center of the screen for a long time after you turned the TV off either. I don’t think they could even begin to grasp any of that (I started to say they haven’t even a “remote” idea, but that was just too corny). No, they already think that only cavemen had to pop their movie popcorn on the stove instead of zapping it in the microwave.

Remembering can be a good thing. I’m so glad, though, that when it comes to our sin, God has chosen to “remember no more.” Hebrews 10:15-23 helps us remember that he is faithful and that we need to remember that he chooses not to remember: “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: ‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ Then he adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’

“And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

Forgiveness is so amazing–a gajillion times more amazing than that little dot that hung around forever in the center of the screen. Forgiveness truly does take us into the most glorious forever. Praise God for his amazing, complete, undeserved, forever forgiveness through the sacrificial blood of Jesus! We’re made clean by that blood. It’s that blood that gives us the certainty–the for-sure hope–that we can draw near to a holy God. Now there’s a hope we can hold to unswervingly. We need to remember it!

Much less important in the remembering department, I guess while I’m doing all the remembering with my teens, I probably shouldn’t even bother to bring up eight tracks.

Rhonda Rhea rrhea@juno.com — Speaker, radio personality, humor columnist, author of the fun books: Amusing Grace, Turkey Soup For The Soul–Tastes Just Like Chicken, Who Put The Cat in the Fridge, and I’m Dreaming of Some White Chocolate. Watch for High Heels In High Places In 2007. Www.RhondaRhea.net