December 1977 Christmas service at my parents' church in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, the minister told the congregation of the recent death of his mother. It was a very upbeat sermon, which told of God's promise of eternal life through Jesus. He created an analogy of a baby in a mother's womb warm, comfortable being traumatized through birth. Pushed, shoved, pulled through the birth canal, exposed to bright light, slapped on the bottom, then embraced by the loving arms of his mother.The mystery of death, he explained to the congregation, was exactly the same. Now I understood. It was perfectly clear. When comforting the bereaved over the past 20 years, this has been my message.
It wasn't until July of 1997, that my own faith was tested. My mother was hospitalized with multiple health problems, each one complicating the other. As the family gathered around her bed, the realization hit like a sledgehammer that my dear mother would not be leaving the hospital alive.
Her health deteriorated quickly, now was when the "rubber hit the road." Now faith in God's promise, eternal life through Jesus, the Lenten story became personally important to my family and me.
Our prayers of healing changed to prayer of taking my mother home. God's loving gift of eternal life through Calvary's cross can be fully appreciated when you face that agonizing last visit.
We knew that my mother was being born again and that through God's grace we would see her again.
The Lenten story of Hope, Love, and Peace.
Heavenly Father,
One of our hardest tasks here on earth is to let go of a loved one into Your arms. Help us to understand and rejoice in Your love and peace. Amen.
Reprinted with permission of B. Cranston from St. Mark Presbyterian's 1998 Lenten Devotional.
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