God Has Not Forgotten You

  These are words of change, "God has not forgotten you".

  They came to me one summer day at a women's conference in Washington, D.C.. I had been "wandering in the desert" for some time. Yearning for breakthrough in my spiritual/emotional growth, but staying stuck where I was. I would have little victories along the way, but would always be pulled back down by my past. Needless to say, it had been a long time since I peeled off a 'layer of onion'. I had pretty much resigned myself to living in the desert.



  Unsuspecting, I sat in my chair for the pre-conference speaker, Patsy Clairmont. I love Patsy. I love her humor and her honesty. I relate to what she says, not her situation, but how it affected her. To have her as the pre-conference speaker was a bonus! I cannot remember the subject of her message that day, but I remember her face (and her finger pointed) when she spoke out those five words of change. "God has not forgotten you". It came and went, my turning point. I barely noticed it, until the next day.

  Saturday was one speaker and worship set after another, speaking directly to my heart. It was as if I had been exposed, I was having a 'watermelon moment'. I considered if our hotel room across the street had been bugged and they knew my prayer requests and discussion from the night before. Everything that was shared that day specifically ministered to me. During it all was this quiet voice inside me saying, "God has not forgotten you". Hardly noticeable at first, then getting louder and louder every time there was something that related to me, "God has not forgotten you". It seemed like everything that was spoken and sung that day related to me. Patsy was stuck in my head and God was seriously "in my face"!

  It was all I could do to stay in my seat and not run away. My heart was racing, pounding. I was afraid that the women I was with would notice my reaction. That they would question what was going on with me. As it was, I had to leave early to meet my family at a Metro station, I could escape. Yet, the ride to Shady Grove was a continuation of my experience during the conference. I tried distracting myself with writing, but I could still hear "God has not forgotten you". If that wasn't enough, it became "I have not forgotten you"...

  There was nowhere for me to run. I could not escape the moving Metrorail car. No one sat near me on that ride or would even make eye contact with me. I must have looked like quite a sight as I sat there with my notebook in hand, sobbing. God had gotten my attention, big time. I was not expecting to meet up with Him that day. I had given up. I truly felt as if He had forgotten me. I had done everything humanly possible to fix myself and I was still broken. I was exhausted in my desert wandering, believing that I would never change. Willing to accept that I would always be the walking wounded.

  In His wisdom and perfect timing, He used someone who is farther along her journey than I am to show me how much He loves me. God, with five simple words, in an arena filled with thousands of women, ministered to me by His Spirit. Why He chose then and why He was so up close and personal about it, well, I can only speculate. What I can tell you is, "God has not forgotten you". His promise of this is in Isaiah 49:13-17.

Being the onion that I am, this was not the end of my journey...only a thick hard protective layer torn off. Thinking back on it, it was this lesson, this layer removal that preceded most of my healing and breaking free of my past. I still have many things to learn and work through, but this was my turning point.


Deuteronomy 31:8~~The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Jeremiah 29:11~~For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.