THE UNFORGOTTEN 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 enjoyed the conversation. He was often sad when

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.

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.

When I got home and read my evening devotional, I could not believe my eyes. The title was “The Unforgotten”, and it was all about being God’s representative of love and support to those who feel insignificant or forgotten, to those who wonder if anyone cares for them at all. It talked about being that person’s listening ear, and how our prayers can encourage them more than we know. The reflection question asked, “God, is there someone you want me to help today? Please bring them to my mind and show me how to love them as you would. Amen”. I knew at that moment that Jim was the unforgotten in God’s eyes, and that pull I felt to see him was indeed God’s will. I prayed that my visit that day had allowed him to see how much God loved him.

The next time I went to see him, I learned that he had been taken back to the hospital. I decided to visit him there and found out he was in pretty bad shape. He was still alert and knew who I was, but it was clear that his time was drawing to an end. I sat by his side and shared with him about the devotional I had read, and how I felt that God wanted him to know that He loved him and had not forgotten him. He seemed overwhelmed at the thought, but I left him with that truth as I kissed him on the cheek and said goodbye. In the morning I found out that he had passed away during the night.

As I think about Jim, I’m still amazed that God would give me the privilege of sharing His love with him. Here I thought I was just spending some time with a lonely man who needed company, but God had a specific purpose for our encounter. He wanted Jim to know that he was not forgotten, and I imagine that Jim is with the Lord now, spending eternity with His King.

If you like to make resolutions with a heart full of hopes, dreams, and expectations for the new year, just remember if things don’t go as planned that there is one who is “the same yesterday, today and forever”—Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:8). He doesn’t change at the start of every new year, and He doesn’t fail like a resolution by February 1st. He has plans for us that are far better than anything we could have planned for ourselves. When we’re open to being used by Him for His will and plans, our lives just may be forever touched by those He works through us to reach.