Never Forget Him
The last time I saw my Mama she hugged me tight. She held my face in her warm hands and said “Elizabeth, wherever you go you must never forget Him”. The soldiers took my brother and me away from Papa and Mama and our big sister Leah. Now we live here, far away from them.
Every night, after I’ve finished my work, I roll myself into a ball under the covers on my bed and I try to do what Mama told me. But before I remember Him, I try very hard not to forget them. Papa, Mama, Leah. Our home with the red rug on the living room floor. The grey cat that came to the door every morning, hoping for some food scraps.
Only then do I remember Him. The Creator of heaven and earth. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I do not forget Him. I pray:
Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. And as for you, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
My mistress is kind to me, but now she is so sad. She weeps all day and night for her husband. When I see my brother in the stable yard he tells me that the master, that great commander of all the king’s armies, is sick with a terrible skin disease. He will surely die.
“What can be done?” My brother asks.
In my mind I hear my mother say “Do not forget Him.”
“Only our God can save him.” I answer, and I know it’s true.
Theo shrugs. “These people do not know God as we do, but if the master would believe he should go to the Lord’s prophet in Israel. Then he can be healed.”
“I will tell my mistress!” I joyfully exclaim.
First her shoes needed to be cleaned. Then her hair had to be combed. And the tray with her unfinished breakfast brought down to the kitchen. Was I ever to have the chance to tell her?
Yes. Now we are sitting in the sunshine of the courtyard and I say, “If the master goes to the prophet in Israel, the God of all the earth will surely make him well. Because for God, it will be easy, but for the master, even though he is an important man, it is impossible.” This is what I tell my mistress.
She is still sad, but quietly accepts the things I’ve said.
When I crawl under the covers I do not forget Him, but first I remember the master. He has gone to Israel, and I ask God to heal him of the leprosy. Only afterwards do I think of the red rug and my family…
Do you know what happened today? My mistress is bursting with happiness and the whole household is celebrating the return of the master. He stood in the big room as each brother, son, daughter, servant, slave, and guard looked him over. Proudly he showed us his unmarked arms and legs. “Look,” he cried. “There is nothing left of the disease!” He waggles his fingers, and then he winks at me.
“You must all stay right here and listen as I tell you everything that happened to me since I left you a month ago.”
We listened alright. It was an amazing story of what God did. But best of all is that wherever they go the master and my mistress will never forget Him.
You can read the whole story of what happened to General Naaman in your Bible, in 2 Kings Chapter 5
Wells for Shepherds 