Happy Mother's Day

For most mothers around the world Mother's Day is a pleasant time when mothers and their children get together to celebrate this happy occasion. Gifts, hugs and kisses and expressions of love will be exchanged, and that's the way it ought to be. However, for some, Mother's Day may not always be a time of celebration. I hate to interject a note of sadness, but the reality is, there are people for whom Mother's Day is one to dread rather than a day to look forward to. For mothers, especially those who have lost their children, this day can be even more depressing.


I think of Mary, the mother of Jesus, handpicked by God to bring the Savior into the world. If her biography were to be written today it might focus on just a few sensational details. A young girl becoming pregnant while still a virgin, engaged to a man called Joseph and unable to give a credible explanation for her pregnancy. These details while being unique, do not comprise the sum of Mary's life.

Mary also experienced the quandary of parenting, not unlike that of many mothers today. What do you do when your twelve- year- old disappears for three whole days? Then simply says, "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2: 49). And later when he leaves and is gone for a long time, you go looking for Him and He says,  "Who is my mother ..." (Matthew 12: 48).

Parenting can be difficult indeed. But none of these difficulties compare to the excruciating pain of losing a child. Mary lost her Son to death - not just any death, but a horrible, humiliating death upon a cross.  But even as she stood there in anguish, looking up at the broken body of her beloved Firstborn, the One she had for such a little time, she realized that He loved her all along and He had not forgotten her. He said to her, "Woman, behold thy son" (John 19 : 26), and gave her into the care of the Apostle John.

Have you experienced the heartbreak of losing your child? To drugs, a sinful life style or even to death? Whatever it might be, my heart goes out to you this Mother's Day. But know this. God has not forgotten you. Just as He gave His mother to someone who would take good care of her, just so by His death on the cross He has given you over to His Father who will take care of you.

Always.

If you have already given your heart to Him and believe His promises, you can take comfort in the fact that He will bring your children back one day.  He says, "Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy" (Jeremiah 31:16).

As Mary stood at the foot of the cross, she must have thought she would never see her Son again, but that morning when the Holy Spirit descended on the occupants of the upper room, Mary was there to receive Him. Her Son was now in heaven with His Father, but He had sent the Comforter to earth to comfort her and everyone who needs His comfort. If you lost your child to death and he died in Christ, know that you will see him again. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4: 16 - 17).

When I lost my daughter-in-law suddenly four years ago, the verse above is one that brought me comfort. She was a God-fearing young woman and I know she died in Christ. If you are not sure if you will meet Jesus when you die, why don't you ask Him right now?

Dear Jesus, I want to be with You and my loved ones in heaven when that time comes. I give you my heart right now and I ask You to help me to live my life for You from this day forward. Amen