Forgotten?

This week  I had the sad job of telling my pastor that my health will no longer allow me to attend church.  I went last week and Wed. was the first day I had any relief at all from the severe neck/spine pain that resulted from sitting in church on Sunday.A sore neck was not the only way that my being in church hurt me.  One lady, God bless her heart. came up behind me in my seat, grabbed me and kissed me twice on the cheek.  It warmed my heart.  Now some people said hi. "Hi" like I-see-you-every-week "HI"...not acknowledging that i've only been their twice in about 6 months.  One lady said "Have you lost weight? Just below the shoulders that is" - her way of acknowledging my fat steroid face.  Made me want to cry.  Or hit her.

I was considering buying a prayer book for the chronically ill by Lisa Copen and one of the things she addresses is our feeling that we are unmissed at church.  This is something I really struggle with.

(BTW if you are interested in her book. here is the link: Refresh me Lord 

And then I went to my  Bible Memory program and clicked on this verse:

Psalm 103:15, 16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
¹⁶ When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.

(I am memorizing all of the "Fearing God" verses in the Bible.)  But that is not why this caught my eye.  Note verse  16.   When the storms of life pass over the beautiful flower that God has made us to be, the storm roars over...and we are torn from our "PLACE" --  the place from where we serve. The place from where we worship.  The place where we do just about anything.   And then what happens?  

"OUR PLACES REMEMBERS US NO  MORE" 

NOW, we can cry.  we can punch pillows.  We can kick the dog.  But that will change nothing.  Chronic illness is forever --aside from miraculous intervention.

NOW I want you to look at the verse preceding this one

Psalm 103 : 13,14

Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
¹⁴ For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

Here are verses of hope and comfort. God has compassion on you. He cares about your pain.  He understands  your weakness.  He identifies with your helplessness. He made himself to be all these things so that HE could know YOU and understand what you are going through.

He knows.

He Understands

He is mindful

He has compassion

And our response must ALWAYS be to fear him.  He can blow us away.  He can pick us up and replant us.   He can bury us in the hospital. It's in his  hands what he will do with us.  But always we must acknowledge his fearsome strength and power.  No matter where He puts us when the wind pauses....HE IS THERE WITH US.  Submit to this process. Acknowledge his power and strength.  LOVE Him with all  your heart.  Because that is how He loves you.  YOU are his beloved.  His bride.  His unique creation. You have value to God. He has not forgotten you --even if your church has.