"The Forgotten"

Spring Cleaning Month may not "spark joy" in your heart, but March is here and so is the pressure to clean up our acts and embrace the decluttering movement. Organization gurus follow this rule of thumb: If you have not used something in the past six months, toss it! This advice strikes a chord of panic in my heart because some of the most important things in life are the ones we fail to remember. Forgotten items are often buried under the priorities of "the now" yet they never lose their original purpose. Consider the many bank vault discoveries with uncashed bonds, stocks and insurance policies. The hapless beneficiary who has forgotten about his or her birthright may very well remain a pauper! Misplaced items can wreak havoc on our lives. Think wedding ring, passport or once-in-a-lifetime family photo. Jesus shared the story of the lost sheep and lost coin for good reason!

Respected friends of mine learned this lesson firsthand. *Disclaimer: I realize that this might sound unusual, but we can all hear from God. Their nightmare roof leak became evident when a large 3'x3' spot appeared near the front door and they knew they could not patch it with any success. After all, they wanted to sell their home, and this was an eyesore. In true DIY fashion, several roof tiles had to be broken to make the repair, so they needed about eight more; hopes for a perfect match faded when they learned that this tile had been discontinued. They could live with mismatched tiles or replace the entire roof. In the middle of the night, the husband felt disturbed, so he prayed, asking God for a strategy. In faith, he declared the victory and went to bed. At daybreak, he was resolute--he asked his wife to don her sneakers and help because "God told me that there are roof tiles buried back here!"

The empty lot behind their home resembles a jungle leading to the great unknown. My friend's job was to hold the ladder (and her questions) so that her husband could scale the fence and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. In a moment of clear insight, on a 200' fence line covered with trees, he homed in on his target and knew exactly where the ladder should be placed. Three feet of tree branches, brush and dirt could not conceal their orange miracle--Twenty-five of the original tiles lay there just waiting to be discovered! The roofing company had left them there about seventeen years earlier, but when the fence was installed, they were no longer accessible. Though their original purpose remained intact, these clay roof tiles were long ago forgotten and discarded. God is faithful and He answers prayer without dismissing our concerns as trivial. So why do we devalue forgotten things?

The Jewish tradition of leaving stones of remembrance suggests the vital role of memory. God implemented this symbolic act after the people of Israel miraculously crossed over Jordan to enter the Promised Land. This practical and powerful act of obedience served as a lasting reminder of His power for all future generations. In fact, many rich cultures thrive by keeping their stories alive and passing them down to posterity. The painting, "Persistence of Memory," suggests a theme that decay is the enemy and nothing is permanent. Some people are always searching for the next thing and missing the moment. But past, present and future are interwoven into the fabric of our place in a bigger plan. We are called to pause and remember moments of magnitude that set a course for destiny. God is doing new things, but His past faithfulness establishes the foundation of trust in our lives.

So, when you declutter your life, be careful not to toss buried treasure. Cherish those forgotten gems like mentors, covenant connections and dreams yet to be unearthed. The world is racing at lightning speed, but God is timeless, and no gift is obsolete. Don't count anyone out! Silver can easily be mistaken for a lesser metal because of the aging process, but after being restored, it could be prominently displayed in a showcase and no one else would know the story. Old, filthy, clay roof tiles look brand new once they are pressure cleaned and fitted together. We were once wounded, but now we are whole. Battle scars chronicle the journey. Remember them. Then apply healing balm to someone in the throes of pain. Forgotten people have value even if they don't live in the limelight. They may be found in isolation, existing on the margins of society. Remember them. Because Jesus did.

Deuteronomy 6:12 (MSG) When God, your God, ushers you into the land he promised through your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you, you’re going to walk into large, bustling cities you didn’t build, well-furnished houses you didn’t buy, come upon wells you didn’t dig, vineyards and olive orchards you didn’t plant. When you take it all in and settle down, pleased and content, make sure you don’t forget how you got there—God brought you out of slavery in Egypt.