Remembering God

Steve wears a chain under his shirt on which dangles a fish charm. Can you picture it? It looks like an “alpha” – it’s an ichthus. When he decided to start wearing the chain, he was looking for a small cross, but I found the fish in my jewelry box, and gave it to him. It was a gift, years ago, from his mother, Judy, to me. I liked (and still like) the idea that he wears it.

Judy has Alzheimer’s. She still remembers family members, but she is very much changed from the Judy I remember, and the Judy Steve remembers. There will come a time when she won’t remember us, she won’t remember her husband, and she won’t remember God. Can you imagine what that might be like for her?

I was driving today, thinking about this post, and I am grateful that he wears that fish. There may come a time when she does not remember God, but Steve will remember God FOR her. I am particularly certain that God will ALWAYS remember Judy.

Remembering God. Do we forget sometimes? Do we find ourselves in a place where God seems distant?

I was having dinner last night as I waited for a meeting to begin at our church. I wasn’t really looking forward to the meeting – in fact, I wasn’t looking forward to it at all. I found myself wanting to just drive home and forget about it, but I knew I couldn’t. It wasn’t just that I didn’t want to go to a meeting (I really don’t mind meetings – yes, I know, I’m strange); I was just in a rotten mood.

It didn’t occur to me to pray about it. It didn’t occur to me to think of God at all. In fact, I was pretty far away from God. All I knew is that I needed a mood change, but I didn’t know how.

Then I walked into the chapel, and it all fell back into place. My rotten mood was gone, and as I gave my report to the committee, I was close to God. I remembered Him.

On the way home, I thought about that change, and I decided that God must have been involved – God at work.

Before I went into my meeting, I had emailed a friend to check on him – he had surgery yesterday. I mentioned that I would rather go home that go to the meeting. When I got home after the meeting, I found a reply which included the line “Prayers your way, and all of the committee’s way, tonight.”

He remembered me to God, when I wasn’t remembering God at all. We all do that for each other. It’s part of being the Body of Christ. It’s grace, and it’s a gift, and I am grateful for it.

Image: Fog this morning at the VA.