Do you ever feel like God has forgotten you? You find yourself walking through one of the toughest journeys you’ve ever faced, and it seems like God has forgotten you.
Sometimes when my children and I are going somewhere, my easily-distracted son feels anxious and starts crying. At the tender age of 4, it takes some effort to figure out what emotions are going through his heart when this happens. After some probing, he usually confesses that he’s afraid I’ll forget him and leave him behind. It breaks my heart as I explain to him that I’d never forget him or leave him behind. Those feelings of being forgotten or the fear of being left behind linger into our adult years. We sometimes go through lonely, difficult seasons in life when it feels like God has forgotten us.
On a recent trip to London visiting friends, Leon, the children and I went on a walk one Saturday morning. The footpath we took led us along a pond, through some pastures and the parish church cemetery. As we walked, I noticed cute little blue flowers sprinkled throughout the headstones of those who had died perhaps 100 years ago. As I took a photo of the flowers, Leon asked me what the flowers were called.
They were forget-me-nots. They remind us that we’ll never forget the ones we love. And God hasn’t forgotten them either.
Sometimes we go through seasons in life when we feel forgotten by God. Maybe we feel overwhelmed by trauma or grief. Maybe a difficult life decision is bearing undesired or challenging consequences. No matter what your hardship is at the moment, God will not forget you. Just as people get a tattoo as a reminder of something or someone significant, God has your name tattooed, engraved, on the palm of His hand. That means you are always on His mind because your name is always before Him. He has a constant reminder of you.
He sees you and remembers you always.
“Yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” Isaiah 49:15b-16
The forget-me-nots have a profound place in that cemetery. They quietly cry out, “You are not forgotten!” And they’re right. I think of Titus every day. Months have passed since he died and went to heaven before me, but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten him.
I used to wonder if God had forgotten Titus when he passed away. So many people around the world prayed for him, begging God for a miraculous healing. Then we never got to see our son healed on this side of eternity. Did God forget our son? Did He forget that our son needed healing? Did He forget that I am left broken while I walk this difficult road of trauma and grief?
Just because we walk a difficult road of overcoming trauma and working through grief doesn’t mean God has forgotten you.
Actually, He always has your name before Him! What a comfort and a hope.
