“She doesn’t recognize me – but I know who she is.”

[Hubi]

It was early in the morning.
The city was slowly waking up. Cars rushed by. People hurried to work, their thoughts already on the next appointment.

In the midst of this daily hustle, an elderly gentleman entered a medical clinic.
He was well-groomed, polite – perhaps in his mid-eighties. His hands trembled slightly, his steps were measured.
But his gaze…
…his gaze was full of purpose.

He walked directly to the reception, calmly gave his name – and then said something that made the entire staff pause:
“I have an important appointment. At 9:30.”
The nurse smiled kindly. It was 8:30.
An appointment? Maybe with another doctor? A follow-up?

She asked him to wait briefly, but she had a strange feeling.
Why the urgency?
Why the light in his eyes?
He seemed… full of anticipation.

Time passed. As usual, the waiting was long – yet the old man remained kind. He kept checking his watch.
One nurse decided to call him in earlier. His wound was small, the stitches quickly removed.

And as she worked carefully, she asked:
“Do you have another doctor’s appointment afterward?”

The man looked up. A warm smile played across his lips.
“No… I have breakfast.”
“With my wife.”

A moment of silence.
The nurse smiled back.
“How lovely – does she live nearby?”
His gaze softened.
“In the nursing home. She’s been there for a while now.”
A gentle shadow crossed his face – and then he said:
“She has Alzheimer’s. She hasn’t recognized me in years.”

The nurse paused. Her heart skipped a beat.
She couldn’t help but ask:
“And… you still go every morning?”

And then he said – very quietly, very calmly, with a deep certainty in his voice:
“She doesn’t recognize me – but I know who she is.”

That one sentence…
…is more than a memory.
It is a confession.
A promise.
A decision.

In a world where so many relationships fall apart – where love is often conditional, based on memory, on reciprocation – there he stands…
…and loves.
Every day.
Without a “Thank you.”
Without an “I remember.”
Without the smile of recognition.
And yet with every fiber of his heart.

The Bible doesn’t describe love as a fleeting feeling, not as a romantic high, but as something much deeper.
“Love is patient and kind.”
“It keeps no record of wrongs.”
“It always protects… always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4–7

This man – he lives that.
Not with words.
But with actions.
With presence.
With loyalty.

He loves because he knows her.
Because he knew her before she forgot.
Because his heart remembers what her mind no longer can.
That is true love.

But where does such love come from?
It’s not of this world.
1 John 4:8 says it plainly:
“God is love.”

That’s not just a theological term. It’s a being, a character, a heartbeat.
Jehovah loves us even when we are weak.
Even when we forget Him.
Even when we are “mentally confused” – by worry, by doubt, by sin.
He remains.
He does not give up on us.
“Even if a mother could forget her nursing child – I will not forget you.” – Isaiah 49:15

Jehovah remembers every single one.
Every name.
Every heart.
He recognizes us – even when we seem lost.

Back to our old man.
Picture it:
He enters the nursing home.
The nurses smile. They already know: “Ah, there he is again.”
He brings a small flower. Maybe a piece of apple pie.
He walks to her room.

She’s sitting there.
A bit absent.
She looks at him – and in her eyes? No recognition.
But he smiles.
He says: “Good morning, darling.”
He sits beside her.
He spoons her tea. He talks about the weather, about old times.
And she listens. Without knowing who he is.
But he knows.

“Because love… never fails.” – 1 Corinthians 13:8

What an inspiration!
Love doesn’t mean always receiving.
Love means being there.
Love means recognizing – even when you yourself are no longer recognized.

That could mean:

• Visiting our elderly parents – even when they no longer remember.

• Supporting our spouse – in moments of weakness.

• Calling brothers and sisters in the congregation – even when they withdraw.

“Continue walking in love, just as the Christ also loved you…” – Ephesians 5:2

And what about those we’ve lost?
What about our loved ones who no longer know who we are?
What about those who died – perhaps in forgetfulness, in silence?
Jehovah knows them.
He knows who they are.

“The hour is coming when all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice…”
– John 5:28–29

When they are resurrected – they will know again.
They will remember.
And all the love shown to them will never have been in vain.

Brothers and sisters…
…what image remains after all this?

An old man, who visits his wife day after day.
Who writes a new chapter each day – even though she no longer reads it.
Who loves – with the gentleness of a faithful heart.

And Jehovah?
He does the same – for each of us.
He sees our hearts.
He recognizes us – even when we feel lost.

Because:
“She doesn’t recognize me – but I know who she is.”

That is how true love speaks.
Let us love like that. So faithful. So quiet.
Like Jehovah.
Like this man.
Like the Christ – who loves us into eternity.

[hatcheckgirl]

That is so beautiful, brother 🌹