forget me not

Signs.

The Lord does a good line in signs. Or 'tokens' if you like. Tokens of his love.

Little things you might easily miss if you didn't really know him.

Like that tiny little hint of approval (or disapproval) in a man or a woman's eye which their loved one alone picks up.

They've lived with each other long enough, they love each other deeply enough, to pick up on these little 'signs'.

The Lord, I suspects, prefers these gentle, discreet little tokens of love to any dramatic thunderbolts out of the sky.

Like tonight, when I called on a lady whose husband had died a week or two ago. As I entered the house, I could hear the music of the hymn, 'Abide with me', starting up.

The lady was watching the television. This is Monday, remember, so it wasn't 'Songs of Praise'. I think it was maybe the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, but I couldn't be sure.

No matter. The hymn was 'Abide with me'.

Which was the closing praise she'd chosen for her husband's funeral service. Because he'd been listening to 'Songs of Praise' the day before he died and had remarked when he'd heard this hymn that he liked it.

A 'sign'. A gentle, discreet little token of the Lord's compassionate care. Bringing her back to the service of worship we'd had and giving this quiet assurance he hadn't forgotten.

I'd earlier called someone else to ask the guy if he would lead a time of worship and study.

He remarked when I rang what an interesting call this was. He'd almost spoken to me himself just yesterday and asked if I wanted him to do exactly that. But had decided that if the Lord himself intended this then I would certainly ask.

Which, of course, I did.

The Lord laying it on both his heart and mine. Which is by andlarge what he does and how he works.

Back at the end of the 19th century there was a famous baptist preacher down in London. I think (as an aside) my Gran once heard him preach, but I'm not entirely sure on that (and it's too late to ask her now).

C H Spurgeon. A man once approached him and said that the Lord had told him he was to preach in Spurgeon's pulpit in London.

To which Surgeon quite rightly replied - He hasn't told me.

End of story. The Lord joins the dots. He lays the same concern on the hearts of all concerned.

He doesn't forget.

And these gentle, discreet little tokens we get are quiet and subtle reminders that that is always the case.

He doesn't forget.