It has been one month since my mom passed away. October 8, 2010 our lives changed. In reality, our lives changed in November 2009 when we first received the cancer diagnosis. While we didn't know the trajectory that single bit of information was going to take us on, God knew. Before the word cancer was so intimately a part of our everyday vocabulary He knew what would be.
It's crazy to think that even then He was preparing us. But He was.
One day I'll write about that day and the days leading up to it - just not today.
I read Matthew 25 this morning and the following devotional from C.H. Spurgeon.
The Magnitude of Grace
"My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Our weakness should be prized as making room for divine strength. We might never have known the power of grace if we had not felt the weakness of nature. Blessed be the LORD for the thorn in the flesh, and the messenger of Satan, when they drive us to the strength of God.
This is a precious word from our LORD's own lip. It has made the writer laugh for joy. God's grace enough for me! I should think it is. Is not the sky enough for the bird and the ocean enough for the fish? The All-Sufficient is sufficient for my largest want. He who is sufficient for earth and heaven is certainly able to meet the case of one poor worm like me.
Let us, then, fall back upon our God and His grace. If He does not remove our grief, He will enable us to bear it. His strength shall be poured into us till the worm shall thresh the mountains, and a nothing shall be victor over all the high and mighty ones. It is better for us to have God's strength than our own; for if we were a thousand times as strong as we are, it would amount to nothing in the face of the enemy; and if we could be weaker than we are, which is scarcely possible, yet we could do all things through Christ.
I had never thought of thanking God for pain, because it drives us closer to Him. I'm thankful that I am closer to Him, I had just never thought to be thankful for the thing that did it. This was an encouraging word to hear Melinda and I'm glad you "picked up the pen" again...we are our Mother's daughters! Wish we could all be together today. I love you again and again.
ReplyDeleteYou are your mother's daughters, no doubt! And there is comfort in that fact, and joy in reading a new blog post from either one of you. Love!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you wrote again, too. It seems very hard to believe that this has all transpired in less than one year. But, seeing what God has done, and is continuing to do in each one of you girls is so exciting. I know your Mom is watching all of this - and seeing how much of an impact she made on all of you (and us)
ReplyDeleteI love ya, girl! Thanks for posting again. . .
Your mom lives on in each of you. What a gift. Thank you for giving it back.
ReplyDeleteLove and miss you!
Happy Thanksgiving Melinda. You are brave and thoughtful and faithful, and an inspiration, just like your mom.
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