Will My Loved One Be Forgotten?
The Question So Many Carry
This is one of the deepest fears carried by those who have lost a loved one—especially a child.
Not always spoken out loud… but always present.
Will they be forgotten?
It’s the quiet ache behind legacy foundations, charities, scholarships, memory gardens…
All the ways we try to ensure that a life continues to be seen, remembered, and honored.
The Desire to Leave Something Behind
When someone knows their life may be coming to an end, there is often a deep desire to leave something behind—
a way for those they love to remember not just who they were, but how they loved… and what mattered most to them.
I have seen so many beautiful ways Annie is remembered.
A tree was planted at her place of employment.
Visits to the place where she rests.
The ministries she cherished.
All of these mean so much.
What Brings a Peace That’s Hard to Explain
But if I’m honest…
What brings a peace that is hard to explain to anyone who hasn’t walked this road… is hearing how Annie impacted someone’s life.
That is what settles something deep in my soul.
To know that she made a difference that has outlasted her time here— that is how I know she is not forgotten.
And more than that… it is a reminder that God keeps His promises.
God Keeps His Promises
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” — Philippians 1:6
It shifts the focus away from what we can do, and back to what God has already begun—and will faithfully continue.
He does not abandon the work He begins.
Created With Purpose
If you’ve been reading my writing over the years, you know that this truth is anchored deeply in my heart:
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned in advance for us.” — Ephesians 2:10
And it ties so beautifully with Psalm 139—
that God knit us together intentionally,
that nothing about us was accidental or unknown to Him.
Knowing that we are intentionally created…with works prepared in advance…then, of course, the impact of those works was never meant to end the moment our earthly life does.
When the Fear Returns
This past week, I felt the weight of that fear again.
The enemy worked hard to bring up old wounds—
moments when Annie had been hurt, when she felt unseen, when she questioned her worth.
It pulled me into a dark place for a couple of days.
How God Meets Us There
But God, as He always does, met me there.
Through a simple daily text from a friend with a Scripture.
Through a phone call that spoke directly into that very pain.
And through an unexpected message—from a now-grown camper Annie had once counseled—sharing how Annie had impacted her life.
A Reminder I Needed
Right there, in the middle of the heaviness…
God reminded me of something I needed to remember.
He wasn’t just creating Annie for 29 years on this earth.
He created her to reflect His light in a way only she could—
to the exact people He placed in her path.
To do Kingdom work.
Work that didn’t end when her earthly life did.
A Life That Continues
Her life was not limited to her years.
Her impact was not bound by time.
The good work God began in her… continues.
Even now.
Even when I don’t see it.
Even when I don’t hear about it.
And that is where I find my comfort.
She will not be forgotten.
Because her life was never just hers to carry—it was held, purposed, and continued by God.
A Gentle Invitation
If you are carrying this same fear…
that your loved one might be forgotten…
I would love for you to sit with this for a moment:
Where have you seen even the smallest glimpse of their impact living on?
And if you’re able… please comment or email me to share it.
Because when we speak their names,
when we tell their stories,
when we remember how they loved…
we don’t just keep their memory alive—
we begin to see how God is still at work.
And that changes everything.
Thank you for the reminder that the legacy that our children leave behind still exists.
Our children’s, and so will ours!!! XO
As always, a beautifully written post. I’m so glad God continues to give you hope in the hurt. Your thoughts and scripture are relevant not only to those who’ve lost a loved one, but to every believer who needs to be reminded that every encounter has a purpose.❤️
Thank you! Your words are so encouraging. Yes, God is so intentional and everything He has ever done has been for an eternal purpose! I have to keep my hope ( my assurance) in that promise!!!
Besutiful. I love the thought – their work continues..
Thank you! God’s promises are so comforting.
This spoke directly to my heart today. Earlier I had spent time with God weeping before him as I asked him to bring revival and salvation to all who were touched by Amy and Max’s death. That he would use the loss of them to impact many lives… their neighborhood, schools, teachers, strangers. That all who witnessed or heard of the tragedy would be moved closer to God…. my family included. That he would be magnified in even greater ways by their death than even their lives???
Thank you for sharing this Lament! What you prayed is so beautiful—and so you. Even in the middle of your own heartbreak, you’re asking God to use Amy and Max’s lives to draw others closer to Him. That is such a tender, surrendered kind of faith.
It made me think of Ephesians 3… that even in suffering, our lives become a testimony of God’s wisdom and grace in ways we may never fully see.
Amy and Max’s lives mattered so deeply… and they still do. And the way you are lifting their story before the Lord—asking Him to be magnified through it—it’s part of something so much bigger than we can see right now.
I’m holding you close in this… and I’m praying that same prayer with you