The love of a mother.

Mothers are superheroes that don't wear a cape.

December 7, 2010

My heart has been very full this past week or so. Three different friends of mine, two very close and one acquaintance, have been dealing with certain situations, that have caused their motherly instincts to take on a whole new level of devotion. Three different friends, three totally different situations...the same kind of motherly love. Another mother, whom I don't know personally is also going through a horrifying ordeal with her little girl. Each are having to put on their strongest armor and fight a battle that they were not warned about. Each...applying grace and love into their child's life and heart. They are heroes in the midst of an unseen battle. They sit, they pray, they nurture, they wait, they cry, they love, they listen, and when all of this is done...the cycle begins again. I feel for my friends. My heart is heavy in a way that I can't describe. As a friend, I want to rush in and rescue them. But, my task, at this point as a friend...is to love them and most importantly... pray and believe. Pray and believe... that our Father in Heaven is carrying them through this battle, one small step at a time, leading them to a place closer to Him and stronger because of it . The love of a mother is constant.

Each of my three friends have a bond that they may not even know about. Besides their love and devotion to their children, each has a love for the Lord that causes me to sit back in awe of their unending commitment to Him. I know this to be true, because I see the evidence in their lives each day. I know that their trust lies in God and God alone. Each, I know...is suffering in a silent way that only God can see and nurture. Their strength and courage reminds me of Mary, who endured the greatest loss of anyone, yet gained the approval of her Father in Heaven in exchange. How her heart must have mourned the suffering and hurting of her son Jesus. How did she raise a child, knowing that one day she would watch Him suffer for the sake of the entire world's salvation? How her heart must have ached with a thousand nails being pierced through it. How my friends' hearts are being pierced with the pain of their own children. It brings me to tears. The love of a mother is enduring.

As a mother myself, I yearn to fix each and every pain in my children's lives. When my children are sick, I am left helpless at times, feeling the need to make it go away. When their hearts are broken, I long to take out my emotional needle and thread, and mend the torn pieces of their hearts. I find it very hard at times, to just let go and "let God". My friends are dealing with these circumstances at this very moment, even as I sit and type. I am comforted in knowing that God is in control at all times, and in all situations...even when my stubborn hands try to fix what only He can. I am comforted in knowing that even when my heart breaks for my children, His too breaks for mine. I am comforted in knowing that when I am their soft place to fall, He is mine. I am comforted in knowing, that when my tears are falling uncontrollably in an exhausted effort to fix what is broken in their lives, God is working on my behalf, and catching my tears before they fall and burst open with emotion. I find comfort in knowing that there is a place that I can run to when my "motherly" skills sometimes fall short...in my Father's arms. I find comfort in knowing that when I am weak HIS strength will carry me through. I find comfort in the Healer who touches my children with His hand, when mine are not around. The love of a mother is unfailing.

December 15, 2010

I've been reading a book titled Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman (Steven Curtis Chapman's wife), and not long after I started this post, I read this portion of her book. You see...I started writing this blog about a week ago, but my emotions kept getting the best of me and I had to stop writing. Between the time of my beginning this blog post, and reading this portion of the book...one of the mother's mentioned above...lost their little girl. She went on to see Jesus at the innocent age of five. A huge loss, that I can not fathom. I will close with an exerpt from Choosing to See...

Mary Beth was sitting with her two young daughters one day as they were crying. They were mourning the loss of their four year old sister, who was tragically killed in an automobile accident.

The title of the chapter is "We Can Do Hard"...

"Mom, why is it just so hard living without Maria?" Stevey Joy asked.

I sat down with them.

"Yes," I said, "This is so hard! It stinks! It's the worst! It's so hard to live without Maria's giggles, snorts, slobber, and all the funny stuff she used to say!"

Tears rolled down my cheeks as my little girls continued to cry.

"It's not fair, I know!" I said. "There are alot of things that don't seem fair, and they're so hard. But girls, God asked us to do hard. It really stinks and I wish we didn't have to, but this is what our family has been called to. If we all stick together, we can do hard."

No matter what your "hard" is right now...God's glory will shine through.

Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.--William Barclay

Ephesians 6:14-15 "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes with the gospel of peace."

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always folowed me. They have clung to me all my life. --Abraham Lincoln

*Thank you Mary Beth for sharing your extraordinary story.

If you would like to order Mary Beth Chapman's book click link below:

http://marybethchapman.com/?page-id=74