Replacing Fear with Trust

Though I was a young, vulnerable mom, I still considered myself a strong woman of faith. But, it was still so difficult to see my baby girl and my baby boy suffer. I’ve heard it said that “It’s harder on the mom to watch her child suffer than the child suffering.” I don’t believe it for second, but sincerely, one of the hardest thing for a parent to do is watching their children hurt – for any reason – and whether they are young or older. I wished many times that I could haven taken their place.

As Christmas is almost here, I’m drawn to the story of another mother who watched her child suffer. At our “Advent Meditations with Mary” study this week, we talked about Mary’s true grit as she endured watching her beloved Son suffer. Like most mothers, she loved and cared for her Baby Boy and 40-days after his birth, Joseph and Mary presented Jesus in the temple. Simeon prophesied to Mary “And a sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Luke 2:35). She was forewarned. In our group, we talked about how she must have carried those words with her all of her beloved Son’s life.

I’m grateful that my own son and I have a very close relationship. He has been an open book to me – telling me his innermost thoughts and feelings most all of his life. Even when he started dating, he couldn’t wait to tell me about the date. As we talked in our discussion group, we envisioned that it was probably like that between Mary and her Boy. It was most likely that their relationship was intimate and endearing and He talked to her about His road up ahead. He prepared her. We suspect that she told Him that she would never leave Him no matter what the future looked like – and she didn’t.

When He was 33, Mary’s Son hung on a rugged cross to bear the weight of humanity’s sin. As He suffered, she never left His side. When He died, His body was placed in a tomb, and a large stone rolled over the opening. Three days later, the stone was rolled away and Jesus was no longer there. That day, a physical stone was rolled away from the mouth of a tomb, but so was the burden on a mother’s tender heart. Scripture doesn’t speak to it, but we moms just know that she had, literally, INSIDE information that she would see her Son again. And, she did and she does today. Her Son suffered but His life left an eternal impact on the world. Throughout Jesus’ life, and even in His death, Mary stood close to Her son, but God drew even closer. And in our suffering, God draws even closer to us.

Over the months and years, as I loved and cared for my own children, I learned to replace fear with trust. I still do that today when I pray for them. To exchange uncertainty with truth that God’s hand is over my children, in health, in peace, and still in times when I see them suffering in any way. Remembering God has a plan for them as He did with His own Son, I know God has a great plan for my children and me -- even though I may not fully understand what that looks like. But He sure does.

As this Christmas approaches, we will praise and worship God for His great gift to Joseph and Mary and to all of us. We will worship this precious Baby in the manger -- but the story gets so much better. Simeon had a painful message for Mary. But she discovered that for those who trust God, He uses soul-piercing events to unleash more grace, salvation, and joy into the world than we could have ever imagined. We know the massive stone of fear was rolled away, revealing our Savior lives, and because He lives – SO DO WE! Praise God forevermore!

God Fills the Shoes of the Best Friend EVER

A week ago, I blogged about how important friends are to our well-being. Then, after being in a room of people that I didn’t know and feeling rather lonely amidst those who knew each other and were carrying on conversation and laughing, I gave that blog a second thought. Now I realize there may be those that my blog struck a less-than-harmonious chord. I thought through my blissful expression of friendships and how grateful I was for so many in my life, but I started thinking about those who may be wrought with loneliness, over and over again and may be crying out to God asking, “Where are my deep friendships?” Mother Teresa said, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.” I felt that in that room.

In a perfect world, my idea of a deep friendship is composed of two people who love each other so deeply that it’s a bit overwhelming. If we’re discouraged, our friend is there to listen and encourage us. If we’re excited, she’s the one throwing a party. If we’re frustrated, he’s the one pulling us out of it and helping us change our attitude to joy. They ask all the right questions at all the right times and are 100% invested in the story God is writing through our lives.

Basically, this perfect friend is birthed straight out of 1 Peter 4:8 which says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Perhaps you read those words and discontent overshadows you. “Where are those friends?” As many friends we have or as few – those multitude-of-sins covering friends, just may be hard to come by – even the "bestest" of best friends may have difficulty with that much love. But here’s what I know with all certainty – there is that kind of friend and He is found here in Psalm 62:1-2. It says: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Go ahead. Breathe those words in. God’s answer to our prayers comes to you and me saying....“I am the only One Who can love you like that; I am the only One Who can perfectly meet your longings.”

We can’t deny that our Heavenly Father is the friend who exceeds expectations. When we are discouraged, He’s there to comfort us. When we are excited, He rejoices alongside us. When we’re frustrated, He reminds us to choose His great joy. He doesn’t have to ask the right questions at the right times because He knows our heart – He knit us together in our mother’s womb and is 100% invested in who we are. Our Father is the only One Who is fully capable of living out 1 Peter 4:8. He loves us deeply, because His love covers all of our sins.

We learn that our soul truly finds rest in Him alone. And as soon as we get that, the weight will fall off our friendships. Released from the bondage of our expectations, everyone around us becomes beautiful and they have the potential to be our friend without expectations. We don’t have to have deep relationships. Of course we want to love and be loved, but no matter what our friendships look like, our deepest longings will never go unmet; God has already filled those shoes.