He Remembered. He Really Remembered.

Yesterday was my birthday.

Like many others have  been, I was astonished at the volume of Happy Birthday greetings that came my way.

One in particular would get the award for “Came the Farthest.”  Matt is serving our country in Afghanistan.  For the second time.

Matt and I crossed paths and shared a slice of life over a decade ago.  I was doing  youth ministry consulting work in the Western New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and he was a student leader.

Suddenly yesterday his name and birthday message appeared on the screen in front of me.

What’s amazing to me is not that he wrote from Afghanistan.  I’m amazed that he remembered me.

It’s not the distance, it’s the time separation that has stuck with me.  And the fact that he remembered me.

With everything else going on there, he remembered me.

Almost floors me as much as what’s expressed about God remembering us in Psalm 8: “When I consider everything you’ve made and done, who are we that you’d remember us?  And yet….”

Matt, thank you for this birthday gift.  You’ve reminded me of many good and precious things.