Homegrown Journal

Have you ever thought to yourself that God had forgotten about you? How did you process this? How did you protect yourself from being overwhelmed by your thoughts? If you are anything like me, not only have you felt forgotten by God, but you’ve had to wrestle through your thoughts on how to address the feeling of being forgotten. In some shape or fashion, this is something everyone has experienced. Typically, it is caused by the pressures this life presents or when things don’t seem to be going our way.

words + photographs MICHAEL BYRD SR.

I recall a time in the summer of 2014 when I felt as though my life was a train wreck. It was my understanding I had given myself over fully to the Lord, serving Him in many different capacities, only to feel empty when it was all over. After serving at different block parties, seeing many youth and young adults confess hope in Jesus, I would leave feeling abandoned by God, who promised to never leave me or forsake me. It was at that time I realized, God never left me. Instead, I had placed Him in a box. I was almost in a position where I saw God as useful, but was beginning to overlook His beauty. Our God is a person we can gaze upon and see the splendor of His Majesty. Our God is so beautiful and will never forget about us.

This season of my forgottenness reminded me of three truths: 

Our beautiful God
gives me His undivided attention.

It may not always feel this way, but it is so true. Psalms shares with us God inclines to us. “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord,” (Psalm 40:1-3). 

God is so beautiful He hears us when we cry out to Him, giving us the attention we need in the midst of trying times. 

Our beautiful God
knows my name.

Take a deep breath. Experience the refreshing feeling of just simply knowing God knows your name. God is all knowing, wise and loving. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He’s our hope. Think about it for a moment: “If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well,” (Psalm 139:11-14).

God knows every intricate detail about us. He created us. He formed us. We are His. He knows us.

Our beautiful God
loves me deeply. 

The moment when I was ready to quit, I realized God’s love for us is deeper and stronger than we can ever imagine. I realized that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 8:38-39).

I could not allow my thoughts to affect what I knew to be true. I had to not only remember, but also rest in knowing Our God is beautiful and will never forget about those He loves. It is great to belong to Him. MB

Michael Byrd Sr. is married to Traci Byrd and the father of Triniti, Makayla, Michael Jr. and Tyler. He serves as lead pastor and church planter of Faith Community Bible Church in St. Louis, Missouri, where they exist to make Christ known in the community by caring for the community.

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