GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Here's a little story for you...

A dad and a mom went to church one Sunday evening in separate cars.  When services were over the dad thought the mom had their child and the mom thought the dad had him; however, both were wrong. Six year old "Little Johnny" had fallen asleep on the pew during the services and both parents had left church without him.  While turning the lights off in the church building, the Pastor discovered Little Johnny just waking up from his pew nap.  Realizing the dad and the mom had made a terrible mistake, the Pastor calmly took Little Johnny by the hand and led him to his car, intending to call his parents and let them know that he would take Little Johnny home.   To further calm Little Johnny the Pastor had promised an ice cream cone on the way home.  As he was strapping Little Johnny in the backseat of his car the Pastor noticed a vehicle speeding toward the church.  He watched as the panic-stricken dad bounced into the church parking lot, slammed his car into park and jumped out before the vehicle had a chance to come to a complete stop.  Relief flooded the dad's face when he saw Little Johnny strapped in the backseat of the Pastor's car wearing a happy and content expression on his face.  Little Johnny never realized that for a brief moment that evening, he had been forgotten by his parents.  

 

I mentioned in a previous post that I've been researching my family through an ancestry site.  I've noticed many of the headstones online include the phrase GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.  It's nice to see that loved ones marked the graves as a reminder that it was important that this person be remembered by their family.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/atoach/2840067513/sizes/m/in/photostream/

My Mom and I were remembering my Grandmother last month on what would have been her 102nd birthday, Mom said, "Yes, she's GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN".   When Granny was with us she always reminded us that January the 27th was her birthday.  I smile when I remember how often she said to us, "you know, January the 27th, that's my birthday." 

My Grandmother wasn't unique in wanting to be remembered on her birthday; the truth is, we all like to be remembered.  Whether we display it to the world or keep it to ourselves, it upsets us to be forgotten.  Our spirit rebels against the idea that we are not as important to others as we thought we were. 

Have you ever felt that you were forgotten?  Imagine standing alone on the curb waiting for a ride and realizing you've been forgotten!  In that moment you feel abandoned, insignificant and your day has likely been ruined. 

Two very sad verses in the Bible to me are

Matthew 26:56 and Mark 14:50. 

Mathew 26:56, "But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.  Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled."
Mark 14:50, "And they all forsook Him, and fled."

Both verses relate the reaction of the disciples when Jesus was arrested in the Garden.  While His followers did not forget the Lord they did forsake Him. 

To forsake means to distance oneself from someone or something.   As Jesus was being arrested, the fearful disciples felt they needed to put as much distance between themselves and Jesus as they could.  Peter did try to defend the Lord with his sword, but even that feeble attempt was more out of anger and fear than bravery.  However, before we are hasty in our criticism of the disciples we must take a personal look at the ways in which we are guilty of forsaking our Lord. The disciples had been with Jesus for about 3 1/2 years, yet their fear caused them to flee. 

Jesus knew more about being forsaken than I ever will.  The Heavenly Father had to turn away from Him as He hung on the cross bearing the sins of mankind.   Mark 15:34 are the words of Jesus, "...My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"  Notice that even in His lowest, human moment, Jesus acknowledged that God was still and forevermore, HIS GOD. 

Hopefully you were not forgotten on Valentine's Day, unfortunately people may forget us and loved ones may even forsake us.  But, here's wonderful assurance:  God will never leave us nor forsake His own!  I pray that God in Heaven is your God and that Jesus is your Savior.  If you do not know Him or you have doubts about your relationship with the Heavenly Father, please go to Him in prayer ~ He will hear and answer you if you go to Him and humbly pray.




PLEASE NOTE:  For the purposes of this post the above story  of Little Johnny is a compilation of three similar, but separate stories that my Dad (a Pastor) related to us over the years.