Mike Gilland
A common phrase from my growing-up years went something like this: “Tie a string around your finger so you won’t forget…”
Funny as it seems, buried deep in the memories in my mind is an image of an elementary school classmate who had literally done just that very thing. She had tied a piece of yarn around her index finger as a reminder for a task she needed to complete.
Talk about an analog solution in a digital age! I would think it to be a safe bet that we don’t see this type of physical reminder too often. But yet, we all do need our reminders, don’t we?
On my cell phone, I have a number of alarms constructed, each with a different label, ready to be armed at the touch of my finger—a finger, I might add, that is free of a piece of string.
Some are to remind me of meetings, others are for tasks related to my job, and yet others pointing to a project I need to complete around the house.
We also receive reminders from others—often delivered courtesy of the USPS. Reminders that it is time for an upcoming payment, such as those property taxes that need to be remitted.
Then there are those emails and texts that come in, all calling to confirm a task, or an appointment…sent to our inbox as a reminder, a help, so we won’t forget.
I don’t know about you, but I think there is a really good reason for such reminders in our lives. We all tend to forget.
It is human nature to get busy, distracted with other really important things in life. And in those moments of productivity, if we fail to be vigilant, another important detail can simply be overlooked.
Yesterday I awakened early in the morning from a deep sleep, jarred by a memory of such a task that needed to be done. I laid in bed for a bit, trying to go back to sleep, but I soon realized that my time of sleep was over. I simply had to get up, brew some coffee, and finish that task.
As I write this in those predawn moments, capturing these thoughts about this very matter, I am so grateful to know that I can trust in the Lord. He never fails in His remembrances, never sleeps or slumbers, and His mighty hand never needs a string tied around a finger.
The writer to the Hebrews said it this way:
“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward his name.”
We may—and do—forget. As hard as I may try, I will undoubtedly miss a detail, maybe in the very near future. But God never does, and he never will.
And what a great comfort is found in remembering that one.