January is my least favorite month.
As someone who adores the wonder of the holiday season, the holiness of Advent, and the anticipation of Christmas morning with my little boys, I usually enter January feeling a bit depressed. It’s hard not to miss the magic of the holiday season when I see Christmas trees tossed on the street or turn on the radio and hear regular music playing again. Instead of beginning January feeling motivated, I often feel melancholy.
Furthermore, for a month that’s all about remembering the past year, I often feel forgotten in January. Cold temperatures and early darkness drive us inside, isolating us from creation. Never-ending runny noses and fevers keep us confined to our houses, isolating us from community. The pressure of learning from last year’s mistakes and setting goals for the new one can make us determined to be better in our own strength, isolating us from Christ.
I see why they call it the bleak midwinter.
Last January in particular was a dark one for my family as we navigated an unexpected medical diagnosis for one of my children. There were many moments when I felt like God had forgotten us. It feels ironic writing an article about remembrance this January when, last January, I had never felt more forgotten. Ironic, and yet so poignant. Because, as it turns out, I had not been forgotten. And spoiler alert: neither have you.
As I thought about what I wanted to write for a blog on remembrance and reflection, I realized what I wanted to share more than anything is what I wish I had remembered last January. It’s a resounding phrase echoed more than seventy times throughout Scripture: “And God remembered.”
Instead of writing three bullet points or takeaways for you in this article, I simply want to declare that phrase over you. If you’re anything like me, you probably already have a sticky note of resolutions hanging on your mirror, a list of to-dos that fell by the wayside during the holidays, and a slew of unread emails mocking you. So rather than putting one more item on your to-do list, all you have to do is read this article. Read and remember. Remember that God remembers.
The Bible is filled with people who felt unseen, alone, forgotten, and forsaken. And time and again, we see El Roi—the God who sees—show up for them. If you feel forgotten and alone at the start of this new year, be encouraged. You’re in good company.
Genesis 8:1: When the world became filled with corruption and evil, God decided to wipe out all of humanity with a flood. But God remembered Noah and not only saved him and his family from the flood but used him to save and begin the world again.
Genesis 19:29: When God destroyed the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, God remembered Abraham and saved the life of his family, preserving their lineage.
Genesis 30:22: Rachel felt worthless in her inability to bear children during a time when a woman’s worth was defined by her ability to bear sons. But God remembered Rachel and gave her a son whose very name meant that God had taken away her disgrace.
Genesis 39:21: Joseph was abandoned by his brothers and unjustly imprisoned in Egypt. But, God remembered Joseph and gave him favor among those who held him captive.
Exodus 2:24: When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, God heard their cries and remembered his covenant with Abraham. He sent Moses to set them free.
1 Samuel 1:19: More than anything, Hannah wanted a child but wasn’t able to conceive one. Until, that is, God remembered her and gave her Samuel.
Ruth 4:15: Naomi felt as though God had turned against her when her husband and sons died. But God remembered her and renewed her life through her daughter-in-law, Ruth. And, he gave her another chance at family—one that would become the ancestors of Jesus.
And finally, in the ultimate culmination of despair, our Lord Jesus himself felt forgotten. As he hung on the cross, he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus understands what it feels like to be forgotten by God.
If you feel alone at the start of this new year, know that you are in the company of not just many of our biblical ancestors but also our Savior himself.
So as your breath fogs up your window this winter, whisper to yourself: God sees me. As you sip reheated coffee and shake the snow from your boots, declare to yourself: God remembers me.
In the midst of miscarriage, God remembers. In the stress of the day, God remembers. In the fears and failures, the accidents and the anxiety, the diagnoses and the divorces, God remembers. You are never forgotten.
God’s faithfulness will shine through—in the bleakest of winters, on the darkest of days, in the most unlikely of ways.
Psalm 105:8 puts it this way: “He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations” (NIV).
A thousand generations.
Perhaps the most important thing we can remember as we start a new year is that God does in fact remember us.
Perhaps more worthwhile than reflecting on the past year is reflecting on how much God loves us.
He sees the unseen. He draws near to the lonely. He remembers the forgotten.
And he remembers you.
Photo Credit: Jenna Martin
Hannah Jessen Conway intentionally pursues themes of faith, motherhood, and mental health in her writing. She works in nonprofit marketing and is publishing her first children’s book in the fall of 2024, inspired by the birth of her deaf son. She’s a Jesus follower, wife to her college sweetheart, and mama of two boys. You can usually find her cheering on the Tar Heels, enjoying the North Carolina sunshine, or writing in a local coffee shop. Read more of her work at hjconway.com.
