“Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on 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

Feeding a Memory

My husband and I used to own a cabin in the woods. We had to drive up a long, steep dirt driveway to get to the front door; once we arrived, we were quite secluded. We planted apple trees there and hung them with aluminum foil to keep the deer away. We replaced the inefficient woodstove with a new one and wallpapered the living room. One thing we never did was fix the squeaky screen door, and when we sold the place years later, I purposely listened to the sound of that door one last time. It squeaked as it always had, and comforted me. I didn’t want to ever forget it, because the sound of it would always remind me of our early years together when life held out so much hope. At the end, I did my best to engrave it into my memory.

I do the same thing every time I go to the rugged northern California coast. I stand at water’s edge, feel the pebbly sand on my bare feet as cold waves swirl around my ankles, and look out over the vast depths. I breathe deeply of the fragrance of the ocean; I listen hard to the waves and gulls; I embrace the wind on my face. Some people call this “being in the moment.” I am feeding a memory, engraving it into my mind. If I don’t return for a long time, I will still have that memory, because I took the time to seize it, cling to it, and deeply drink of it.

Jesus engraved us into His memory. The nails of the Cross—the implements of death caused by our sins—created gaping, bloody wounds that became scars as they were healed. His glorified Body, which I’ve always thought of as perfect, unmarred, and glorious, is actually scarred and reminds Him that He became our sacrifice. He carries the reminders with Him always.

He will never forget us. As we go about our day, may we engrave the memory deep within our souls of what He has done for us. We will do this by gazing a long time at Him, breathing in His fragrance, listening for His voice, and embracing His love.

Whenever you spend time with Him, be in the moment.

“Jesus, our willing Savior, we praise and glorify Your Name for engraving the memory of us into Your own skin and bones. Would You so penetrate our hearts with Your love that we will never forget You. In Your own Name we pray, Amen.”