Pain with a purpose

Psalm 139

I read this Psalm over and over. It is one of my favorites. Each time I read it the Lord reveals something else to me about how much He loves me, like how His thoughts of me are constant and can’t be counted, how he knew me before I was anything-and loved me, how He knows each day-each moment-of my life, He knew them before even one of them were lived, He is not surprised by even a single word on my tongue, a thought in my head or a feeling in my heart. He knows them all. It is intense to think I serve a God who knows me so well, so intimately and loves me so fiercely. Who can love someone so hard despite SO many flaws…only God.

Dear Lord,

Give Mary a hug for me.

She may have understood on some surface level that greatness was to come from her womb-that the Savior of the world would spring forth from her, she knew she was a part of something amazing simply by the way she was impregnated…but could she have truly known the searing pain she would experience watching her son beaten and hung? Yes, she was Mary, mother of Jesus but to us He is a savior, to her He was also her baby boy who she watched take His first steps, nursed when He was sick, cried when He was hungry and cared for as a mother cares for their child. I can only suspect that at a time or two she asked, “why me?”, “Why my son? Why now?”

Give her a hug for me.

I understand now that when you are with Christ, pain comes with a purpose. Mary did not know that my life would be saved because of the sacrifice she too made. She did not know that I was saved from the bowels of hell b/c she allowed God to do His work through her. Please tell her thank you. The Word doesn’t describe her complaints, her whines, but we see her tears-maybe even feel a bit of her pain. What strength we see in her.

This walk is always about someone else. Always. I hope she sees now what her sacrifice meant for so many. Please hug her tight and tell her the pain was not in vain.

Thank you for allowing me to know your son.

Love,
Your Daughter