Not Forgotten

I love the General Conference talk by Spencer Condie in October of 2007. It is titled "Claim the Exceedingly Great and Precious Promises." In it he makes reference to Rachel and Leah. As will be remembered Jacob fell in love with Rachel and worked 7 years for the right to marry Rachel. Her older sister Leah was not married yet, so Rachel's father tricked Jacob and veiled Leah and Jacob married Leah instead. Then he had to work an additional 7 years for Rachel. It is written though that the 14 years seemed but a few days because his love for Rachel was so great. I am going to go directly to Elder Condie's words now as he says it better than I can.

You will recall how Laban beguiled young Jacob into first marrying Leah and then Rachel. “And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren” (Genesis 29:31). And Leah bore Reuben, then Simeon, then Levi, and Judah. Meanwhile, Rachel remained childless (see Genesis 29:32–35).

With ever-increasing envy and mounting desperation, one day Rachel explosively demanded of Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die” (Genesis 30:1). Leah subsequently bore two more sons and a daughter.

I can just relate to that sentiment, or feeling. I may not have ever been barren, but I have suffered through my own trials and felt like, "This needs to be resolved TODAY." Then years pass in teaching me patience, long suffering, and trusting in the Lord and His promises.

Elder Condie continues:

"The Apostle Peter testified that “the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering” toward us (2 Peter 3:9). In this age of one-hour dry cleaning and one-minute fast-food franchises, it may at times seem to us as though a loving Heavenly Father has misplaced our precious promises or He has put them on hold or filed them under the wrong name. Such were the feelings of Rachel.

But with the passage of time, we encounter four of the most beautiful words in holy writ: “And God remembered Rachel” (Genesis 30:22). And she was blessed with the birth of Joseph and later the birth of Benjamin. There are millions on earth today who are descendants of Joseph who have embraced the Abrahamic promise that through their efforts “shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:11).

When heaven’s promises sometimes seem afar off, I pray that each of us will embrace these exceeding great and precious promises and never let go. And just as God remembered Rachel, God will remember you. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I love those words, "And God remembered Rachel." Once during a hard day, I was quoting these words to myself but inserting my own name for Rachel. All of a sudden I had a scripture and thought come to my mind. I thought, "Not only will He remember you, but He has not forgotten you." Then the scripture came to mind

15 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Today seemed like a day that I needed to remember that, so I posted it for my therapy.