God has not forgotten you

Luke 12:6

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?  Yet, not one of them is forgotten by God.  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. NIV

Several years ago, one of my dearest friends took me to a Women of Faith event.  I had no idea what I was walking in to.  I had never heard of it.  Frankly, I went because I love my friend and it seemed important to her.

She lives several states away, so, it took a couple of days to get there.  First, I flew to her town, then we stayed the night and drove several hours the next morning.  She seemed so excited.

As we entered the massive convention center that Friday morning, it seemed to me that the space dwarfed the few hundred women who had come for the Friday portion of the conference.  All of them, it seemed, were as excited as my friend.

As we took our seats on the floor of the facility, I confess I didn’t have high hopes.  The chair looked uncomfortable, the room was chilly, and it was going to take six years to hike up the stairs if we needed food or the restroom.  But, I put a smile on my face and settled myself next to my friend.

It was a divine appointment.

The first speaker was Patsy Claremont.  I’d never heard of this woman.  I will never forget her.  She told an amazing story of a woman who had tracked her down, with, she said, a message from God.  It had taken the woman quite some effort to find Patsy.  The message was simply, “God has not forgotten you.”

Patsy said she thanked the woman … and that she was a bit confused.  She did not feel forgotten by God.  But then, she said, she realized that it was a message for us, not for her … that she was to deliver that message at this conference.  At this point, she turned, and, it felt, as though she looked straight at me.  This tiny, white haired grandmother said plainly, “God, has not forgotten you.”

I burst into tears.  Turns out, I did feel forgotten.

I cried for most of the next two days as God broke down wall after wall in my heart that I had built up over time.  Tears of gratitude come to my eyes even now as I write this.  I had to have those walls broken down … if I’d stayed behind them, trying my hardest to make success of my life on my own, I would not have survived the last two years.

As it is, I have been pruned, I have been molded, I have been shaped for service, and I am so, so thankful.

Not one of us is forgotten by God.  We are his precious, precious children.  He knows every detail of our lives, every hair on our heads, and he values us.

That’s a reminder not to worry and that’s what I’ll think about today.