Lessons from Forgetting

So last night I got home from work, got myself a bowl of stew I had set to cook in the crockpot all day and called the girls for dinner. Maggie and Anna came right away. Rachel did not. I called up the stairs for her. No reply. I didn’t think much about it. She sometimes comes right home from school and takes a nap. Totally in the realm of possibility. It had been a big day at the cigar shop, myself and two other guys had been picked by the boss man to head a new podcast and had done a full blown dress rehearsal. I was beat.

I got a fire started in the fireplace and sat in my chair. Not long after, Mandi got home and asked me how Rachel’s swim class was. I gave her that look, that “what are you talking about look.”

“Dan! It’s Wednesday! You’re supposed to pick her up at the YMCA on your way home from work!”

Oops. I couldn’t believe it. I was embarrassed and annoyed. I didn’t want to go out again. But, I rushed out to get her. On the way I realized I left my phone at home. That’s OK, I thought to myself, I still have my smart watch which can act as a phone. Then I realized that I wasn’t wearing that either. I had set it on the charger when I got home. No tech in the car…I felt naked without it… like it was the eighties all over again.

When I got to the Y (about a half hour after I should have been there), Rachel was there at the door waiting for me, smile on her face and bags in tow. I was really surprised at how she wasn’t mad. Don’t get me wrong, the first thing she asked was what had taken me so long.

I didn’t lie. I told her the truth–I had forgotten that she had swim lessons today. I asked her to forgive me, and she did right away. Just to make sure there was no more unspoken animosity, I gave her a bag of skittles from the Halloween candy tribute the girls had given me. Never under estimate the power of skittles with Rachel.

What I thought about in all this (other than what a doofus I was) was that God never has days like that. He’s never so preoccupied, stressed out, or tired, that He forgets, overlooks, or remembers wrong. He’s always on top of things. He always has time for you. He is always there. I was very thankful for that thought. Hopefully more of that will rub of on me.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV).