When my mother was dying from emphysema, it certainly was a traumatic event in our family. It wasn’t a surprise for any of us to see her in that situation, as her lifetime of chain-smoking had destroyed her lungs. For many years, she was on oxygen, and also suffered a lot of pain from broken ribs and other bones, due to severe osteoporosis. Though I had heard the Lord’s calling on my life as a teenager, and followed Him at that time for a couple years, the desires of the world became more important to me and I slipped farther and farther into the world of sin. Mom had done the opposite. Though she had not come to know the Lord as her Savior until she was middle-aged, her walk with Jesus had grown sweeter as her death approached. Though I loved her and she loved me, the chasm between us had grown to an immeasurable width. That chasm’s reason became evident to me with the defining difference being an acceptance of Jesus. She worried desperately of my endpoint for eternity, but also knew that if she discussed it, I would only slip farther away.
Unbeknownst to her, the Lord was breaking me, in answer to my Mom’s prayers and the prayers of many others. I finally reached my breaking point. I couldn’t look down for I was on the bottom. It was finally time to start looking up. With nothing to show for my life, I finally decided to hand over the reins to Jesus and do it His way. This was the “fight or flight” moment in my life. Could I still have turned my back on Him? Certainly, I could have, but the Lord put me in a position where I finally was humble enough to see the destruction I had caused. At that point, you either run away from Him or run into His comforting arms!
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:3-9
How can you tell if your faith in Jesus Christ is fake or real? Does it stand the test of trial? When you are in the darkest place, do you run to the light of His love or do you blame the darkness on Him? Yes, our God allows the difficulties in our lives, but He doesn’t cause them! Yet He always is there to comfort us if we turn to Him. Often as believers, we have to deal with the ramifications of our sin, which might involve some definite hardship. Yet never forget that He never will leave you nor forsake you. He will carry you when you cannot walk! Nothing compares to the glory of His love, and the salvation that He promises never will perish.
Today would have been my mother’s 75th birthday. I miss her, but I have eternity to share with her. God used her sickness, her pain, her prayers and her faith to bring me back into His loving arms. “All things work together to those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purposes!” It was a sweet surrender when I threw in the white towel! Happy Birthday, Mom, and thank You, Jesus!
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