D. Leon Pippin

When God Is Deaf

Chris wanted to celebrate his 12th birthday at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. He was up early and ready, excited about the great birthday he was going to have. Before they left home, his father, a pastor, gathered the family together and prayed for a good time and for safety.

The trip to Busch Gardens seemed endless but finally they approached the park. Chris jumped out of the car as soon as his dad finished parking. They walked to the toll gate to buy their tickets and Chris could see and hear the screams and laughter coming from the rides. There it was-his favorite ride, the double merry-go-round and that's what they would ride first.

Chris ran to the merry-go-round, rushed up to the second level and climbed on top of the great white stallion. Twelve-year-old Chris was not on that horse. Instead he was a western rodeo rider showing off before a cheering crowd as he went up and down and round and round.

The ride ended much too soon and as Chris was sliding off his "great white stallion," his foot slipped, catching his right leg on the metal stirrup. He fell off the horse, and the stirrup tore his pants and cut his leg.

He felt the excruciating pain as he was rushed to the nearby emergency clinic, surrounded by his family. When Chris saw all the blood and torn flesh, he lost consciousness. The medics informed his parents that he had ripped his leg open enough to require 73 stitches.

Chris was upset, almost hysterical. He was one of the better swimmers on his school's swim team, and the doctor told him it would be at least six weeks before he could even consider competing again. In his anger and frustration he yelled at his dad, "You prayed we'd have a good time and no one would get hurt. Well, I got hurt and we didn't have a good time."

Two weeks later, Chris developed a severe ear ache. After the otolaryngologist examined his right ear, he said, "Chris, it's a good thing you aren't swimming now."

"Why, doc. Can't you fix it?"

"Well, Chris, your ear is infected and . . ."

Chris interrupted him. "It's not something really bad, is it?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. If you hadn't had this leg injury and you had continued swimming, the ear drum would have burst, and you'd be permanently deaf in that ear."

Chris started to tremble and then began to sob. The news was worse than he thought. He'd hoped it was just a simple ear ache and when his leg healed, he'd be back in the pool swimming. His mother drew him close and they both cried together.

When they arrived home, Chris, the first to get out, struggled to stand up, and leaned across the top of the car. When his dad got out, Chris quietly said, "Dad, God seems to be deaf; but as you often say, 'the Lord promises, Call me and I'll answer, and be at your side in the bad times. I'll rescue you.'" Psalms 91:15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) , The Message

Then he hobbled on his injured leg around the car and grabbed his dad in a huge hug, his head buried in his father's chest, sobbing, "I'm so sorry, so sorry."

They walked toward the house buried in thought, arms still around each other. His mom, silently thanking God for her family; his father, meditating on "God does what he said he would do!" Psalms 48:11 Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice. Let all the towns of Judah be glad because of your justice. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) , The Message, and Chris, knowing he had the best dad, had a renewed trust in his father's prayers.

An ambulance siren could be heard in the distance. Chris paused as he remembered the sound and once again thanked God for protecting him.

I Stood on Holy Ground

The night before my first major surgery, Don, a dear brother in the Lord, came to my house to pray with me.

A month prior to Don's visit, what I feared the most might happen, happened. I was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. Since I dreaded hospitals, surgery, and any disease, I had always eaten a healthy diet, exercised regularly, taken natural supplements, and lived an active lifestyle; but none of these precautions exempted me from cancer.

A few days before the surgery, I was so nervous and restless. I couldn't sleep and paced the floor like my rat terrier who wanted out, reciting scripture like a ticket dispenser. "I know God's in control, but I'm not. I can't calm down."

My wife said, "I doubt if you're going to make it through the procedure."

So we kept praying for God's deliverance from my fears, claiming, "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ) and searching his Word for promises to be fear-free.

My wife stuck post-a-notes, filled with promises, on closet doors, the refrigerator, and mirrors. Both of us clung to Psalms 34:4 I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) , "I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."

My friend knew my fears, so he had come to support me. After a brief visit, we stood around in a circle holding hands-Don, his wife, my wife, and me. As Don begged God to give me peace and deliverance from my claustrophobia and anxiety over the surgery, I realized there were no longer four individuals in our circle, but five.

Another Presence was standing next to me, confirming Don's prayer had already been answered!

The more Don poured out his heart to the Lord God who had joined our prayer circle, the more I was like Moses at the burning bush, hearing God's voice from the flaming fire, "Take off your shoes for the ground you're standing on is holy." I quietly slid out of my Birkenstocks. The carpet I had walked on many times became holy ground under my feet that night, hallowed by God's presence.

Don's prayer had transported me into a worshipful holy reality I had never experienced before in my entire life and hallowed the carpet, the room, the night, and the four of us—no, the five of us!

The holy One of the universe had never been so close to me as he was that night. God's holy totality saturated my soul. I trembled, I wept, I worshiped. The Almighty God of Israel, who spent the night with Daniel in the Lion's den, who walked with Daniel's three companions in the fiery furnace, who spoke to Moses from the flaming acacia bush, and who filled the Temple with his brilliant glory around Isaiah, that same God stood with me that night as we prayed.

Don interceded for God's Presence to fill the operating room the next day, but I knew–the same Presence with me in our prayer circle was already there, waiting for me.

Will you ever encounter a holy ground experience? I don't know, but, if and when you do, you'll never be the same again. You'll pray like Elijah, you'll "see" God in burning bushes like Moses, and you'll eat his Word like Ezekiel.

This was, and still is, no fantasy, no dream. It was real! That night for a few minutes I stood with my loving God–on holy ground.

A Desperate Prayer

"Where, on a July holiday weekend, on a late Sunday near dusk, on an almost deserted highway by a bridge in upper Michigan are we going to find a mechanic?" I asked my disappointed family.

Greg, our 10-year-old fisherman, kicking at some loose gravel, asked, "Does this mean we won't get to go fishing?"

"Of course not," my wife assured him.

Our family was approaching Mackinac Island Bridge on a vacation to Canada. Our 1968 Pontiac station wagon was loaded with tent, camping and fishing gear, luggage, and three young children. We had traveled for six hours, and we became excited about crossing the huge bridge. Well, the Pontiac got excited, too. Too excited, to be exact. We heard a rattling noise, so I pulled onto the shoulder. Now a mechanic, I ain't. But, with such reassuring confidence, I popped the hood (I'd seen other disabled motorists do that), and lost the car in bellows and bellows of steam.

My six-year-old said, "Look, Dad, the car's going to the bathroom."

"Well," I said, "it looks like we're losing water."

"Then let's ask God for a man to fix it, ok?" he said; then added, "We gotta pray. NOW."

We held hands, bowed our heads, asked for help, and thanked God in advance for his answer. We had barely lifted our heads when a motorist pulled up and asked if we needed help. (Did we need help or is Lake Michigan a big pool of water?) He looked it over and said the water pump was bad. I saw Greg's face drop.

But then he said some words that sounded like angels from heaven: "I know a mechanic who may pull himself away from a holiday barbecue to help you. Hop in."

My family said they'd continue to pray as I sped away with our good Samaritan. Within an hour the mechanic and I pulled up behind our wagon.

As he grabbed his toolbox, along with a water pump, he said some exciting words: "We'll have you rolling before dark."

As we sat around a campfire the next night, we read Isaiah 65:24 I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) :

"Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."

And we all agreed that was exactly what God did. We discussed how a difficulty helps us to experience a specific promise from God.

Greg said he was more convinced now that God is a fisherman at heart because he got to fish all week for crappies and bass. Don shared that he wanted to help people as the motorist and mechanic had helped us. Our family knew that prayer was not a spare tire thing, for Jesus taught in Luke 18:1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) that "We should always pray and not give up" in all circumstances, not just emergency ones.

And our little Brett was not to be outdone, so he wanted us to remember that God knows about everything, especially about cars that don't run right.

Later, my oldest son Don asked if all the things that had happened on that 95+degree day were a mere coincidence, or if God had really answered our "desperate prayer?"

I told him I never doubted that God heard our cry for help.

"Me neither," he said, "me, neither."

I went on to reassure him that "When we pray," but before I could finish, my youngest son inserted, "God jumps."

I thought for a while, and then replied, "Yeah, you're so right, God jumps."

Heavenly Father, keep that childlike faith alive and jumping in this father's heart. Amen.

A Son Says Goodbye

I was officiating at my father’s graveside service. I said the traditional words, “Dust thou art; to dust returneth,” and tossed some dirt onto the casket as I said, “Amen.” The family and friends paid their last respects and left for the luncheon at the VFW Lodge. I hung around till everyone had gone but my wife and me. I said, “I’m going to stay for a while. Few things I want to say to dad before my final goodbye.”

She gently hugged me, squeezed my hand, and said, “Take as long as you need to. I’ll wait in the car.” I watched her walk away and then I turned back toward the grave. By this time, the casket had been lowered into the ground.

I looked down at the casket and said, “Dad, thank you for providing us a house to live in, putting food on the table, and putting clothes on our backs.” I hadn’t noticed the two men with shovels standing near the grave.

“Sir, we’ll have to ask you to leave,” the older man said.

“May I stay a minute or two? I’m just a son saying goodbye to his dad.”

“Sorry. Take as long as you want.”

"Okay, then,” the younger man said, “if you don’t mind us throwing dirt in your dad’s face,” as he pitched a shovel full of dirt into the grave and it resounded on the metal casket.

The older man shook my hand, and said, “I’m Walt. Sorry about your loss. This here’s my son, Josh. We just buried his grandfather a few months ago. He hasn’t gotten over it yet.”

“Thanks, Walt, for helping with the burial,” I said and walked closer to the grave. As I looked down this time, the casket looked so cold and lonely. “Dad, I’m sorry we never took the time to get to know each other better. Now death has sealed off that possibility.”

Josh overheard me and asked, “Do you believe all that stuff about a resurrection from the dead?”

“Yes, I do. Jesus himself said, ‘I am the Resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies,’ and proved it when he came out of the tomb. That’s why we celebrate Easter.”

Kneeling, I looked down for the last time and said, “Dad, forgive me for never telling you I loved you and that I was thankful God made you my father.”

I turned toward Josh and saw his tears as almost inaudibly he asked, “Will I see my grandfather again?”

I put my arm around him. “Josh, choices made on this side of the grave determine what happens after we pass to the other side. My dad made his. Your grandfather made his. What really matters now is what choices we make.”

He blurted out, “I loved him. Now he’s gone. I hate death!”

“We all do, Josh, we all do. It separates us from family and friends, and it’s so final.” I took a Gospel of John out of my pocket. “I’d like to give you this. When you read it, you will find the answer to your question, 'Will I see my grandfather again?'”

“I’ve never read the Bible before.” He paused and added, “One day my grandfather and I were walking through a cemetery, and he said that he believed that someday all the graves in that cemetery would open and everyone would come out alive.”

“Your grandfather must have known his Bible.” John 5:28 and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) says,

“A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out.” (NIV)

“I like what you said to your dad. Thanks for everything, sir.” He held up the Gospel of John. “I can’t wait to find the answer.”

“I’ll be praying that God will open your eyes to his truth just as he did for your grandfather.” I turned and, looking up into the September sky with golden brown maple leaves falling all around me, I said, “Dad, I’ve now said my last goodbye.”

Pharisee for a Day

There he was, staggering on the sidewalk at 7:00 a.m. as I drove past him on my way to work. I almost said out loud, “Thank you, Lord, that I’m not like that man.”

I was glad I wasn’t plagued by alcohol as he seemed to be.

While teaching that day, I couldn’t concentrate on my classes. That man kept staggering in and out of my mind. I thought, "Maybe the principal can find a substitute for me."

Questions continued to pull my attention from the students. Should I have stopped and offered to take him home? What would a few minutes have mattered?

I felt miserable. I couldn’t eat lunch. I prayed and prayed the entire day that my attitude wouldn’t be like the Pharisee who prayed in the temple courtyard, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers –” even like this inebriated man (Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer*: `I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

I fought the similarity between me and that Pharisee.

When I drove home that afternoon past where the man had been, I pulled over and let the car idle. I could still “see” that needy man, swaying back and forth. Talk about guilt. He should have known better than to drink himself senseless. At I sat, my eyes glued to the empty sidewalk, the scene played out like a rerun of a movie. I saw the brown bag twisted tight around a whiskey bottle. As he fell, the bag flew from his hand and hit the sidewalk. At first, I thought he had soiled himself. Then I saw the liquid wetting the concrete like an open fan. It felt like a rancher had branded my conscience.

My head ached. I wanted to pray: “God, be a film editor, and let this scene end up on the cutting floor.”

Stop to help him? Suppose a colleague from my school passed by and saw me. What would he think? I’d be embarrassed, helping a drunk man. It was then that my conscience compounded my guilt by comparing me to the priest and the Levite who had passed a wounded man “on their sidewalk.” (See Luke 10:30-37 Jesus replied with a story: "A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. "By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant* walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. "Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins,* telling him, `Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here.' "Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked. The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy." Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same." OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ) A helpless man, beaten and robbed, left for dead; a helpless man, liquor-drenched, left disoriented. Like the others, I passed my chance to show compassion and missed an opportunity to be Jesus to someone in desperate need.

But he needed help. It wouldn’t have required me to empty my pockets of money, only empty myself of a little time. If only I had!

I rationalized that I had pressing schedules and commitments to meet. I know I did, yet why didn’t I help? Although I was ashamed to admit it, I knew the answer. Because my indifferent heart held no compassion, no deep concern for a needy individual. Honestly, I just didn’t care.

I sat there and literally beat my chest like the tax collector: “I am not worthy to look up. Forgive me.”

Then I vowed if I ever passed another needy person, I’d stop my car, “bind up the wounds,” and take him to the nearest “inn.”I was a Pharisee for a day. That was far too long, for, except for God’s mercy, I could have been that man who was passed by, lying in his own stench.

When God Slapped My Face

“I [God] will not give my glory to another.” Isaiah 42:8 "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)

At times, however, I’ve tried to steal it from Him.

I had recently returned to Florida from Indiana after having directed and choreographed the drama for four large Christmas city-wide concerts. I had written about 60 personalized thank-you letters to the cast and crew who had helped me, including my assistant director, but had not received one response from any of them. One day I was sharing with a friend that I had given my time, energy, and talent as a volunteer for six months, and no one even bothered to respond.

“It’s amazing,” I said, “how some people, even Christians, can be very ungrateful.”

“So now,” my friend asked, “you’re complaining about their ungratefulness?”

Ouch. God slapped my face.

Was I complaining or just explaining the situation? I asked, “Wouldn’t you want to know that at least one person appreciated all the hard work and long hours?”

“Sounds to me like you’re having a pity party,” she replied. “So, did you do it to get praise and a pat on the back?”

Ouch. God slapped my face again.

Then my friend reminded me about Jesus and the ten lepers. He had healed all ten of them, but only one had returned to thank him. “How do you think he felt?”

“I guess I never considered it. After all, He’s God. He can shoulder disappointments.”

“Well, then, do you think you’re better than the Lord himself?” she asked.

Ouch. A hard slap.

As God used Nathan to convict David (see 2 Samuel 12:1-9 So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: "There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man's own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man's lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest." David was furious. "As surely as the LORD lives," he vowed, "any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity." Then Nathan said to David, "You are that man! The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. I gave you your master's house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. Why, then, have you despised the word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ), so God used my friend to be my Nathan. I always thought I was motivated by service, not recognition. I was having a pity party. I needed to serve the Lord whether I heard applause or not.

My friend ended our conversation with a pungent takehome kick: “There might be something more, too. Maybe the Lord knows you needed a refresher course in humility.”

Ouch. God slapped my face again.

I was getting the message. I could only get slapped so long. Finally, bruised and bleeding, I fell on my knees and searched the Scriptures to understand how God disciplines his own. After a long, prayerfully painful search, I got off my knees, content with Hebrews 12:5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children?* He said,"My child,* don't make light of the LORD's discipline, and don't give up when he corrects you. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) (NIV):

“Do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

“Hey,” I wanted to shout, “He really loves me!”

The question, Why does God punish his children? plagued me. Now Romans 8:29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn* among many brothers and sisters. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) answered it: that we might “be conformed to the image of his Son” and part of that likeness is “He humbled himself.” Philippians 2:8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)

My heart was jumping up and down. Even though the old nature often resists, the Spirit within was begging: “Humble me, Lord. Humble me.” God, my omniscient father, was lovingly correcting his child. He showed me that craving public recognition is not being conformed to his humility.

My epiphany, at last: His slaps were preparing me to continue what I had been doing, but now, with a renewed motive, I would labor to see that his significant name and fame - Christ himself - lit up the marquee of my life.

God brought confirmation that I was making progress. He provided a Christmas musical, written by a member of our church, for me to direct and choreograph. He had given me another chance to do all things “with all humility of mind.” Acts 20:19 I have done the Lord's work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) (KJV) I’d had enough wake-up slaps to last for awhile, and, though I didn’t solicit his correction, I’m thankful for the reminder that “the Lord disciplines those he loves” Hebrews 12:5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children?* He said,"My child,* don't make light of the LORD's discipline, and don't give up when he corrects you. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) (NIV). His refresher course is teaching me that his name must dominate all the credits that run at the end of my life’s story. My prayer is that I no longer usurp his glory.

I used to tease one of my college friends that he must be on his fourth volume of Humility and How I Attained It. Now I can start on my first and, hopefully, only volume. I’ll give it the title, Humility and How I Attained It, One Slap at a Time.

Let's Get Wild

Super Bowl Sunday. A bad time to visit my friend who had been ill for several weeks. As I entered his hospital room, I heard the television. Thunderous cheers swallowed up my greeting when more than 78,000 fans screamed and stomped their feet over a touchdown.

I raised my voice, “Hey, Jim. Sounds like an exciting game.”

“I guess so. Just something to watch.”

“If we could only get that excited about God. Wow.”

“Leon, do you think all those people get bothered about God like you do?”

“Probably not.”

“People get excited about things they like.”

“What did you say?”

“The crowd yells and screams and spills beer on everybody around them because they love football.”

“Jim, you’re a philosopher. That’s it!”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it! They get wild — because they love football.”

“So?”

“So, my dear friend, if we loved God that much, we ... what, Jim?”

He just smiled and half-laughed.

After my visit with him, I read Psalm 41 and discovered something about the psalmist. He was passionate about his God:

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” (Psalm 42:1 NIV)

He hungered for a taste of God’s presence. That intense craving for God is what C. S. Lewis called an “appetite for God.” (Reflections on the Psalms, p. 51).

The psalmist’s longing for God intensifies. First, he calls him, “God,” then, “the living God,” and finally, he begs to see “the face of God.” David shared that Super Bowl fervor. He was wildly bothered about his God.

When it comes to football, all my family are Super Bowl fans. I asked my grandchildren why they loved football so much.

One said, “All the rough and tough stuff, especially the tackle.”

Another one, “The physical stamina of the players.”

Another added, “I like to see them pile on top of each other, like a human pyramid.”

My family also gets excited about playing the game, Catch Phrase. One night when playing, one of my words was “Hail, Mary.” I gave enough clues for my team to get “Mary,” and then I gave the clue, “Signal for a cab.” My team guessed it. Then the family filled “our stadium” with spontaneous “touchdown” roaring laughter.

I sat there dumbfounded till my young granddaughter said, “You don’t get into football much, do you, Papa? ‘Hail, Mary’ is when a quarterback in the last few seconds of the game throws a pass to several receivers in the end zone.”

Not to be outdone, I said, “Oh, so football is a religious game!”

When I went to see Jim later, he was sitting up in bed. Not watching TV, but reading a Bible.

“Leon,” he said, “I finally got bothered about God.” He had come to faith in Christ. And everyone in the hospital knew it. He shared his decision with a nurse, read the Gideon Bible, and tried to convert his physical therapist. No doubt about it. He had become wild about his God.

Three months later, the Lord took him home.

I miss him. We’d been friends for more than 10 years. Jim’s words haunt me - Do you think other people are bothered about God as you are?

I found myself answering out loud: “No. Jim, unfortunately, they’re not.”

But suppose 78,000 Christians started shouting about a “spiritual touchdown” the ‘Lord had done in their lives. If we did, maybe others, like Jim, would see something in our lives to make them want to get wildly bothered about God.

Touched by God's Tattoo

Waiting in line to check out at a grocery store recently, I noticed a skull and crossbones tattoo on the upper left arm of the man in front of me. His tattoo reminded me of when my oldest brother came home on furlough from the navy with a tattoo of a hula girl on his upper left arm. I was 12-years-old and I asked him why he got that thing anyway. He laughingly said, “Every time I flex my biceps, I remember how much I miss Hawaii.”

Since I’ve always been interested in the reason an individual gets a tattoo, I asked the man about his. He pointed to the skull and crossbones and said, “This identified me with my gang when I was in prison.” He snickered a little and added, “I’ll always ’member my behind-bars buddies.”

A biker behind me pulled up his T-shirt to show a rose tattooed on his chest. “It was my old lady’s favorite flower,” he said. He got quiet, rubbed over the rose, and slightly mumbled, “She’s dead now, but I’ll never forget her.”

Listening nearby, an elderly gentleman began rubbing the number tattooed on his arm and said, “I won’t forget Auschwitz.”

“Grandpa,” his grandson asked, “Do you want to forget?”

“Never! And I want your generation to remember also.”

The prophet Isaiah probably had the same idea when he wrote:

“... I [God] will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; ...” (Isaiah 49:15-16 "Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem's walls in ruins. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) a NIV)

According to John MacArthur, he was alluding to the Jewish custom, possibly drawn from Exodus 13:9 This annual festival will be a visible sign to you, like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the LORD: `With a strong hand, the LORD rescued you from Egypt.'* OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) , of puncturing their hands with a symbol of their city and temple to reassure Israel that God had promised never to forget his people.

Tattooing is becoming more prevalent in our American culture. A 2015 study reported that about 36% of Americans ages 18-29 have at least one tattoo, and they enjoy talking about them.

Last week, I was being helped at a pharmacy by a young lady who had tattoos running from her right shoulder down to her fingertips. I commented, “You sure must like tattoos.”

She replied, “My tattoos remind me of who I am.”

A man behind me said, “I’m into tattooing myself. I’m a father. See this heart with two names in it,” pointing to the top of his right hand. “Every time I look at that heart, it reminds me how much I love my twin boys.”

A young man in line chimed in, “I’ve got ’em all over my body. I get a tattoo every time there’s a new thing to remember.”

Remember — that’s the word these tattoos are painted around. All of these individuals want visual reminders.

When I see these tattoos that are making all kinds of statements, I am reminded that God’s tattoo is also making a statement: “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands so that I will never forget you.” God remembers all the names of the stars he’s created, and he’s reassuring us that he remembers all of our names by reminding us where our names are ... in the palms of his hands.

God remembers that we belong to him, he remembers to protect and provide for us, and when we have a need, he remembers to guide us. And also, painful as it may be, when we need correction, he remembers to discipline us.

When the Lord just wants to express his love and devotion to us, his omnipotent hands reach down from heaven and embrace us. We feel him holding us close and then hear him so softly whisper, “See, I have tattooed you on the palms of my hands.”

D. Leon

Pippin

Contributing Writer

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More from D Leon Pippin