FORGET-ME-NOT
By Steve Bietz
Burke County
As I came out of the Wal-Mart store and into their parking lot, I quickly came up beside an elderly couple. The man was using a cane while the woman had the grocery cart and I noticed her cane was hanging on the cart handle. Right as I zoomed by them, I heard the elderly woman say, “young man.” Now, I am of the age that no one should be calling me a young man. So, I felt that it was not possible that she was referring to me. However, I didn’t feel as though anyone else was nearby, so I turned more directly to her and asked if she was talking to me. The elderly woman quickly smiled and said: “yes, I wonder if you could help us.” I replied that “I will try, what can I do for you?” The woman said, “I hate to admit it, but we have forgotten where we parked our car.” It was then that I walked over to them and said, “well let’s see if we can find it for you” and I added, “what color is your car.” For the first time, the elderly gentlemen spoke and said, “it’s blue.” Quickly, the elderly woman said, “honey” (and I now felt certain that honey meant that he was her husband) “it is not blue, it’s silver.” I thought to myself, finding their car may be more challenging than I had imagined.”
But I smiled at the color dilemma and said, “no problem, is the key to your car a key fob.” To which the elderly woman responded, “what’s a key fob.” Rather than trying to explain what a key fob is, I simply asked them to show me their keys. The woman said, “sweetheart, show him the keys.” But sweetheart responded, “I don’t have the keys, you took them and put them in your purse.” For a few moments, the woman insisted that she did not have the keys, but would admit soon enough that yes, here they are in her purse.
Their car key was indeed a key fob, so I proceeded to push the unlock the door button on the key fob, and just 3 cars down the roll from where the three of us were standing, the taillights flashed. We had found their lost car. I proceeded to continue giving aid to the elderly couple, for they both seemed a bit traumatized by the lost car ordeal. We got their purchases placed in the back seat and I told them that I would return the grocery cart to the proper place.
As I finished with their cart, still holding the small bag that contained the couple of items I had purchased, I watched the elderly couple slowly back out of their parking space as I now made my way to my car. I must admit that I chuckled out loud when I noticed, their car was not blue or silver, but beige.
Now I do not walk with a cane and I’m relatively certain I know without a doubt, the colors of both of my vehicles. And yes, they both have key fobs. I am glad they have key fobs because I also have pushed a button on my key fob so that I could find my own car in a parking lot. Forgetting and remembering are constant harassment of our routines. Thankfully, we have a God who never forgets where we are parked. He tells us: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion for the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.” Isaiah 49:15,16.
We are in the time of year when Christians spend time celebrating when Christ had us inscribed on His hands. Of course, it would be horribly unthoughtful of us, to only remember the blood Christ shed on our behalf just at Easter. Christ actually left in place a memorial service, that as we participate in the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper, we can recall with vivid illustrations, the cost of our redemption. Paul reminds us that Jesus said: “This cup is the new covenant of my blood, this do as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 1 Corinthians 11: 25
Jesus evidently knows how forgetful we can be, so He gave us ways that help us remember. It is as if our Lord has given us a flower called a Forget-Me-Not. I hope each of us, although we might not always remember where we parked our car, we will always remember with great joy, the sacrifice of Christ. May we never cease to give our sincere gratitude for the Lord inscribing us on His hands, He never fails to remember us and our need of His blood.
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Steve Bietz is the pastor at Morganton Seventh Day Adventist Church.
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