“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no
compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget
you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever
before Me.” Isaiah 49:15-16 (NIV)
How perfect this verse is during those moments when you need
your family to surround you and uplift you as you go through life-changing
events and no one is there either because of distance, relationship, or choice.
This week, I’ve been reminded more than once that we are never alone! We are
never forgotten! It’s impossible to forget something that is engraved in the
palm of your hands for it is a part of you. It also is part of the hand that
can either be the most exposed or the most hidden and protected.
John 10:28-29 says, “And I give them eternal life, and they
shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father,
who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch
them out of My Father’s hand. I am My Father are one.”
When I was a teenager, many days were spent sitting alone and
wondering if I was forgotten. But I’d write my name on one palm and God’s name
on the other palm and wonder what it must be like to have my name inscribed in
His hand. I would open and close my fingers over my palm trying to soak in the
analogy of being remembered, of being wanted and deeply connected to someone, and of being secure. I’d close my eyes and envision what it’d be like to be covered and
protected by God’s hand as my name was sitting there in my palm surrounded and protected by my strong
fingers. I found great security in John 10 knowing that no one can snatch us
out of God’s hands so He is keenly aware of what/who is in His hands and what's happening to them.
When we are engraved in God’s hands, there is no possible way that we can ever be forgotten…we are
forever a part of a compassionate God who will never let us go! That knowledge comforts us when our hearts yearn for comfort and security in the midst of great change. That knowledge compels us to sit in the presence of God until we surrender to the comfort of His hands around us so He can hold us through the chaos and uncertainty. And that knowledge allows us to listen for God's tender and reassuring whispers of "I will never forget you."
* Five Minute Friday (#FMFparty) gives
writers a word prompt. We are encouraged to write whatever comes to
mind about that word in just five minutes. No editing, no perfection,
only writing from the heart. To find out more, visit http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/. This week's word is "FORGET".
