John 12:27-28 “What shall I say? Father,
save Me from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father,
glorify Thy name.”
I am always asking God for deliverance and
help, both for myself and especially those I love. I want Him to save everyone
from the hurt and sorrow of this life. I want those I love to be healthy, safe,
and blessed. This life, of course, is never totally free from pain, loss, and
sadness. We all go through seasons of blessing and seasons of trial. I know all
of my prayers have not prevented times of distress, but instead brought comfort
to a weary soul.
In 2012, my mom, Lorraine, suffered a
massive stroke, and her life was radically changed in an instant. She had
already lived through many a difficult season, chief of which was losing her
husband, my dad, far too soon. They were apart for much of their marriage
because his job took him away for long stretches of time, and I know she missed
him desperately during these periods. After he died, she had to live through the
shock and mourning of not just his sudden loss, but the loss of promised time
together as they looked toward the future. He was her everything, the sun that
generously gave warmth and which our entire family revolved around. The one
constant in her life, through all of the joy and sorrow, was her faith in her
loving Savior. She never questioned for a moment where my father would be going,
and if she would see him again; she knew she would. She even wore white to his
funeral, something not done in our circle, as an outward sign of the hope she
had even in her distress. I will never forget that.
This strength of faith was even more
evident after the stroke that left her paralyzed and dependent on others. I
would always pray for a miracle, for her to jump up out of her bed totally
healed. She truly believed God could heal her, as did I. That was, however, not His plan, yet she glorified His name by sharing His love with everyone that
came into her sphere. She had become bold and outspoken in her love for her
Lord. This time in her life was at once tragic and also beautiful. She, in her infirmity,
loved louder and stronger than anyone I had ever seen. She listened to,
forgave, and loved everyone her bright blue eyes saw, and she drew everyone in.
She was a beacon of Holy Spirit power whose sole purpose was to bring glory to
her Lord.
Chambers writes, “Sorrow burns up a lot of
shallowness, but it does not always make a man better.” This is so true. In my
mom’s case, sorrow did burn off almost every other care but that of her love
for and relationship with Jesus. Chambers also writes, “If you receive yourself
in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.” This
was so true of Lorraine, a faithful child of God, who is now with her Savior
and her love.
Miss you, mom. Love you to the moon and
back again!
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