It was a text I received one day. There was no explanation given. I had no idea what prompted it, but I could sense the seriousness behind the words. My friend wanted an answer – something to soothe the lingering ache of his soul.
He’s not alone.
I saw an article recently that claimed legendary aviator, Amelia Earhart, likely survived a forced landing 88 years ago in her attempt to fly around the world. Researchers have analyzed the post-loss signals from Earhart’s plane that began transmitting just hours after Earhart sent her last in-flight message on July 2, 1937.
Their conclusion: Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, landed safely on Nikumaroro, an uninhabited atoll in the southwestern Pacific republic of Kiribati and ultimately died as castaways.
If true, Earhart and Noonan must have whispered at some point, “Has God forgotten us?”
Castaway
It’s not hard to feel forgotten. When a family moves, a marriage breaks, or a loved one dies, it scrambles our sense of who we are. Major changes like graduation, retirement, or starting over in a new job can make us feel like castaways from our former lives.
Naturally, we begin to wonder, “Am I in this all by myself, God? Do you care about me? Have you forgotten me?” The answer is not always obvious.
It took me awhile to respond to my friend. I thought about ways to convince him of his value, but feared my words would sound empty.
Engraved
Finally, I texted this back:
But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me.”“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…Isaiah 49:14-16
Things will happen in life that make you feel forgotten. Pay no attention to them. You matter to God. You are engraved on the palms of God’s hands. God thinks about you all the time.
In a word, you’re unforgettable.
“CONNECTING NEW FRIENDS WITH CHRIST” WORKSHOP ON MARCH 8
I’m excited to partner with the Illinois Great Rivers Conference to offer a new 2-hour workshop on sharing our faith. It’s designed to take a practical look at the motivation and skills needed to meet new people as well as engage with loved ones to help each person take steps toward Christ.
It’s not to LATE! You can show up Saturday, March 8 at Wesley UMC.
- Saturday, March 8, 2025, 10 am to 12 noon – Wesley UMC, 502 E Front St,, Bloomington, IL
- Register here: https://igrc-reg.brtapp.com/ConnectingNewFriendswithChrist71
The workshop is free. Walk-ins are welcome.
Let’s go on this journey together and see how God may use us to make an eternal difference in someone’s life.
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Roger Ross
A native of Cambridge, Illinois, Roger has served as a pastor in Texas, the British Channel Island of Guernsey, and Illinois. While in Illinois, he led teams that planted two new churches and served for 10 years as the lead pastor of one of the largest United Methodist Churches in the Midwest. It was his privilege to serve as the Director of Congregational Excellence in the Missouri Conference before coming into his current role with Spiritual Leadership, Inc (SLI).
Roger now comes alongside pastors, non-profit leaders and their leadership teams as an executive coach, specializing in leadership that inspires change. As a side gig, he loves teaching evangelism and church planting as an adjunct professor at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, Texas.
Other passions of his include SCUBA diving in warm blue water, Krispy Kremes, and board games with family and friends. He also has a weakness for golf.
Roger is the author of three books, Meet The Goodpeople: Wesley’s 7 Ways to Share Faith, Come Back: Returning to the Life You Were Made For, and Come Back Participant Guide, all through Abingdon Press.
Now for the best part. Roger is married to Leanne Klein Ross, and they live Bloomington, Illinois. God has blessed them with two adult children, a son-in-law, several tropical fish, and one adorable granddog.
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