THE U N F O R G OT T E N by Christine Cotroneo Christine lives in Upstate, NY with her husband, Ryan, and is a pet-mom to their rescued cats, dog and ducks. She is the owner of Living Word Decor, an online shop where she creates hand painted wooden signs with Bible verses. When she’s not painting, she loves to go for walks, and to spend time in the word of God. www.LivingWordDecor.com
A new year is upon us, and the time has come for resolutions to be made and goals to be set. I’m not much into resolutions or goals myself. The only goal I ever stuck with was reading through the Bible in a year, and even then I sometimes was playing catch-up from the days I missed. I think this past year has taught us we really can’t anticipate what a new year may bring, and while plans are good, it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21) I remember one year in particular when the Lord brought the unexpected into my life. That year began with a devotional entitled “For the Right Moment.” It was about God’s work in our lives to prepare us for His perfect timing to send us into the work He has planned for us. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV). I had decided that this would be my only expectation for that year, to simply abide in His word and to wait and see what He had planned. I had my own ideas of what I wanted to accomplish, but in typical God style, what I ended up involved in were things I never could have imagined. I have a copy of that devotional printed out and taped inside one of my journals with the name “James” written at the bottom. James, who preferred to be called Jim, was a man I met by chance, and one of those people that you just know God would use to leave a lasting impact. I was visiting my grandmother’s friend at a nursing home and Jim was a resident there. His room was across the hall, and he liked to sit in the corridor. 18 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 3 17
I can’t recall the first time we said hello, but I do remember him being more than willing to talk. I looked forward to seeing Jim on my visits and after the woman I was visiting passed away, I kept going back to spend more time with him. He wasn’t a well man himself, and although his demeanor was not always suggestive of someone who wanted company, I knew underneath that rough and tough exterior was someone who enjoyed the conversation. He was often sad when we talked about his children, the work he used to do, the days gone by, and his desire to be with his wife, who was still alive and well at home. I did my best to cheer him up. One Sunday afternoon I felt the pull to visit Jim. I can’t explain the feeling, but it was as if God Himself was telling me to go. Although I had no plans to visit him that day, I went out of obedience to the Lord. When I got to his room, he shared how he had just gotten out of the hospital and was still under observation. He was extra chatty that day, and at the end of our visit, I asked if I could pray with him. I had previously shared about my faith, and we talked some about the Lord Jesus, and he agreed to the prayer.
