Re-Member Me

This morning, I sat at the computer ready to write about the legacy I'm building. But a message I taught a few years ago kept ringing in my head. I went back and read my notes. And today I want to share that message with you:

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 


39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:32-33;39-43)

Here we have 3 men dying by way of the cross, two thieves and Jesus.  The thieves are rightfully guilty but Jesus is not. The thieves are dying due to an error while at the same time Jesus is dying to redeem the error.  One thief mocks Jesus while the other asks to be remembered. Remember: to bring to mind or think again; to keep in mind for attention or consideration. 

For years I thought that the thief only wanted Jesus to keep him in mind when Jesus entered into His Kingdom.  But my youngest child, CJ showed me another possibility as to what the thief may have also been asking Jesus to do.  He may have also been asking Jesus to Re-Member him (re: is a prefix meaning again, anew. member: a part of a whole).  The thief may have actually been asking Jesus to make him whole again.

The two thieves remind me of us.  An error or mistake was made that had broken them…mentally and physically.  The error caused them to be exposed for all to see. They carried the error which deepened the wound.  The error caused them to be disfigured and almost unrecognizable.  But instead of running to Jesus and asking to be re-member or made whole again like the one thief, some of us take on the character of the other thief and begin to mock God.  We get an attitude. We stop doing what we know is right. We half come to church or don’t come at all. We begin to question God and wonder if His Word is really true or if He truly exists. Because we’re mad at ourselves for making the error, we take it out on other people who had nothing to do with it. We get smart and become rude, disrespectful and hateful.  And that’s what this thief was doing.  He was angry, broken, exposed, ashamed, & miserable so he lashed out at the one person who could 
re-member him.

When I found out I was pregnant with twins, I asked God why.  Honestly.  I asked Him why. I could not believe that God would play such a joke on me - lol.  But I’ve come to know that all things do work together.  Because of my children, I’ve come to know some of the different characteristics of God.  Because of my children, more things of God and more things about God have been revealed.  So it really should not have come as a shock when God revealed Himself again through my children.

CJ is the youngest of the four and the busiest.  He is always getting into something. 
I spend the majority of my day saying:  “No, CJ. Stop, CJ. Leave it alone, CJ.”  But CJ is also the most affectionate of the four.  He’s always happy, always laughing, loves to hug and give kisses. He rarely gets upset.  One day, the wheel on his favorite car came off and he began to cry.  I was in another room but I got up quickly because of the intensity of his cry.  I heard his cry not with my ears but with my heart. He cried out and my heart heard him.  

When I entered the room, I saw him sitting there with the broken toy in his hands.
I wasn’t sure if he had broken it or one of his siblings but however it got broken, it was causing CJ to break.  I got down on the floor next to him and he placed the broken toy in my hands. What he did next is what I really want you to get.  After he placed the toy in my hands, he climbed in my lap and began to love on me. He didn’t see if I would fix the toy or if I had even started to fix it.  He didn’t give me the toy and then try to assist me in fixing it or try to fix it himself.  He placed the toy in my hands and proceeded to love on me.  And while he was loving on me, I was fixing the toy.  While he was loving on me, I was re-membering the toy. While he was loving on me, I was putting the pieces back to together again.

Some of you today are broken or in a broken situation.  You may have caused it or someone else may have. It really doesn’t matter. God can re-member you.  He wants to re-member you.  He wants to make you whole.  He wants to make the situation whole.  All you have to do is completely place it in His hands and while you’re waiting, love on Him. Worship Him. Praise Him. Thank Him.