Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
Isaiah 49:15-16
I'm not a youth pastor, a teacher, or a coach, but in the last several months, I've spent a good deal of time around teenagers. That's because in my capacity as a part-time high school sports photojournalist, I've walked up and down the sidelines of football and soccer games, and I've stood in the dugouts of baseball and softball games. I have to say, it's really a lot of fun, and I love interacting with those kids. To say that they can be entertaining would be a huge understatement. If it were to ever turn into a full time job, that would be perfectly fine with me.
Of course, in the position that I'm in, I don't learn the backstory of most of them. There are a few of them that I've had deeper conversations with, but for the most part, I only know what I see and hear on those sidelines or in those dugouts. I see the fronts, but I don't see what's under the surface. I do not need to see that, however, to know that many of them are hurting. That doesn't mean that I know which ones they are, but I know enough about human nature and the state of the world today to know that it must be true.
I believe it is that knowledge that helped to create the main character of the book that I'm currently working on. I'd like to introduce her to you. Her name is Caelynn Aucoin, and she's 14 years old. She's originally from Summerside, Prince Edward Island, but has recently moved to Moncton, New Brunswick. There's a huge hole in her world, but I'm not referring to the one created by moving away from her longtime home, even though it meant leaving behind her beloved older brother who is attending university back on the Island. Rather, I'm talking about a hole that was created eight years ago when her father walked away from her family.
Caelynn, like so many young people in reality, knows what it's like to feel rejected and unloved by someone that she should have been able to count on. It's not just young people either. Many of us as adults have experienced the rejection of those we felt that we could always count on. There are some people we feel will never turn their backs on us, and yet, all too frequently, the sinful nature of humanity kicks in and we find ourselves deserted. One thought that has been on my mind lately is that if that sort of thing is so painful as an adult, it would have to be excruciating for a child or a teen.
Surely, a parent would never walk away from his or her child, right? We all know that's not true. We all know of instances in which it has happened. If that can happen, there's no guarantee from anyone. right? Wrong. There is a guarantee that God Almighty will never forget His children. A mother might leave her child, but that child is not forgotten by God. A father might walk away, but then God becomes a father of the fatherless. But still, some might be wondering, how can I know that God won't forget me? The answer is simple. It's in His hands.
When the nails ripped through the flesh of Jesus' hands when He was nailed to the cross, something amazing happened. Those nails did the most impressive work of engraving ever performed. They etched the names of all of those who would ever trust in Him into his palms. Every time Jesus Christ looks down at the scars in His hands, He sees my name. If you're a child of His, He sees yours as well. He also sees the names of any of those kids whom I've hung out with on those sidelines or in those dugouts that have trusted in Him. He sees the names of all believers. There's no way He can forget us.
Maybe you're hurting and feeling the pain of rejection today. If you know Jesus Christ as Saviour, He's right there with you holding you in His arms. If you don't know Him, those arms are extended out to you. Perhaps you know someone who feels that pain. Why not point them to the Saviour that loves them so much. Let them know that He loves them enough that He allowed those nails to do something so special. He never forgets.
