A Brain Like Chuck’s

Sometimes I wish I could just delete certain images and memories from my brain.  Please tell me I’m not the only one who is overtaken by memories out of nowhere.  It can be a song, smell, conversation, store, pickup truck, baseball hat, sports team, etc. that will take me from where ever I am to where and when that memory took place.  There are times when those little trips are welcomed with open arms, when it’s a reminder of good things, but when it trudges up the dark past, I’d just prefer they stay put, locked away somewhere that couldn’t be found.

My favorite show, “Chuck,” provides some insight to my problem.  Chuck has an intersect in his brain and an image, voice recognition, etc. will bring up the secrets locked away in his head and we can see it all play out on his face.  He is taken away on a mini-trip to where ever the images in his brain take him.  Most of the time they are unwelcomed departures from his normal daily life, but by the end of the show, he has always saved the day one way or another.

Now if only I can focus on what those spontaneous memories are used for, then I can learn from my past and focus on the future.  God always has a plan for our lives and we can use images and experiences from our past to help us in our future endeavors.  Maybe every time I have a flashback it is God’s little way of using my experiences to help me make decisions in that particular moment.  Or he is using those memories to show me what I learned and to remind me what He saved me from.  They are also little reminders of the sweet moments in life that God blessed me with.  Those moments of when my nieces and nephew come running to me saying “Aunt Meggie, Aunt Meggie”  so precious!  Or  of those decisions in life that you might regret, it is a chance to reminisce about what happened and are better able to make future decisions based off what you learned.

Needless to say, I enjoy watching “Chuck” because we have a few things in common, such as the random flashbacks at a moment’s notice, eating cheese balls, visiting electronic stores, spending time with family and friends, etc.  But we can also learn from the show, that those flashbacks are not always a bad thing.  While I might not be saving the world from spies, I can use those memories to better prepare myself for the future.