So "Mother's day" is around the corner right now and the social media, and multiple industries and companies are fully taking advantage of that. I can't seem to go anywhere without seeing something advertised along the lines of "Tell your mother how much you love her" and poster after poster that reads "To the best mother in the world."
Now what is there to say to those who do not have a mother figure in their life? Yes, everyone born technically has had a "birth mother," but as divorce (among other things) is becoming prevalent in our world, I am seeing a generation of children growing up with a gaping hole in that area of their life.
In the past handful of years in my life I have witnessed many families experience division where one parent just "Up's" one day and leaves, sometimes even without warning. One day, they're just gone...without ever intending to return. I have experienced first hand, as well as witnessed in the life of others the devastating effects of this. I have also witnessed the devastating effects of one parent loving their children more than their spouse or one parent loving their spouse without any regard for their children. Both have devastating effects and both leave the children with emotional damage and feelings of neglect and abandonment.
Now for those who have experienced this and for those who have had to grow up without any parent role-models, who have a hard time understanding how God can be different. To those who feel like they have to constantly earn God's love, and live with fear of being cast out or blotted out from God's sight because they feel as though they can never measure up. To those with a distorted sense of worth because of the horrors they have lived through in their life or with their families... For those who live with the fear of abandonment, and insecurity because every person in their life has failed them. (And may I add, I noticed a lot of people try and explain it away, almost making excuses for people and continuously say "Look to God" yet neglect to understand that Christians are supposed to be Jesus hands and feet. We have responsibility for our actions as representatives in Christ.)
I would like to say this...When you're in pain, when you feel like you're emotionally bleeding out. Sometimes it is very hard to see God's hand in the situation. When you've been abandoned and abused by the people who are supposed to love, cherish, and protect you....It is very hard to understand where God was when all those things were happening. However, when I cried out to God, when I was in pain and I couldn't understand and I could hear my heart shattering like glass and the tears were streaming down my face because of the anguish within. I cried out to God asking him "I believe Your word, I believe the Bible is true, and You claim to be love...but I cannot see Your love. SHOW ME your love, open my eyes so I can see."
As I read His word and I saw things in a new light. I read the book of Exodus I saw how the Lord lead the Israelites out into the wilderness and He was preparing them for the battles they would face in the future. The Lord had lead the Israelites through the wilderness, which was actually the LONG way, but because He knew that they were not ready to fight and that in the face of a battle they would turn and run away. Now while in the wilderness, day after day God gave the Israelites commands. He was teaching them to be obedient, basically to "trust Him" and place their confidence in Him. However they wouldn't place their trust in Him, they neglected to do the simple things that God had asked of them. So they remained in the wilderness, yet day after day they had the chance to obey Him once again. I began to see the places in my life that God had prompted me or my family to do things, and day after day, like the Israelites we neglected to obey Him. Yet day after day He gave us a new chance to seek Him, to place our trust in Him. Slowly but surely I began to see His hand in the past, and now in the present. I began to see His faithfulness...
We need to take God at His word, we need to believe that He is the truth and what He says is true. When it's hard and you cannot understand, pray honestly with God and ask Him to show you, to open your eyes. Things are never as it seems, and even a lot of problems that we face-the circumstances themselves are not the real problem. Ask God to give you a deeper revelation of His love, to help you see His hand. Do not turn away from the Lord in your hurt, run to Him...He is the parent that we long would love us.
One of my Favourite Bible passages, Psalm 27 says this:
Verse 10 "When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me."
And verse 13-14
"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.[SUP]14 [/SUP]Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!"
Notice the verse says "I would have lost heart unless I believe I would see good in the land of the living." The land of the living is this life now...God has a good plan for us now, in this life. You can trust that even all these things that have happened, that are not even good in itself, when you place your trust in God, that HE will make these things work out for good in your life for His glory.
WAIT on the Lord, be of good courage,
and He shall strengthen your heart!
My God bless you. Love you my brothers and sisters.
-Lydia Elaine
Now what is there to say to those who do not have a mother figure in their life? Yes, everyone born technically has had a "birth mother," but as divorce (among other things) is becoming prevalent in our world, I am seeing a generation of children growing up with a gaping hole in that area of their life.
In the past handful of years in my life I have witnessed many families experience division where one parent just "Up's" one day and leaves, sometimes even without warning. One day, they're just gone...without ever intending to return. I have experienced first hand, as well as witnessed in the life of others the devastating effects of this. I have also witnessed the devastating effects of one parent loving their children more than their spouse or one parent loving their spouse without any regard for their children. Both have devastating effects and both leave the children with emotional damage and feelings of neglect and abandonment.
Now for those who have experienced this and for those who have had to grow up without any parent role-models, who have a hard time understanding how God can be different. To those who feel like they have to constantly earn God's love, and live with fear of being cast out or blotted out from God's sight because they feel as though they can never measure up. To those with a distorted sense of worth because of the horrors they have lived through in their life or with their families... For those who live with the fear of abandonment, and insecurity because every person in their life has failed them. (And may I add, I noticed a lot of people try and explain it away, almost making excuses for people and continuously say "Look to God" yet neglect to understand that Christians are supposed to be Jesus hands and feet. We have responsibility for our actions as representatives in Christ.)
I would like to say this...When you're in pain, when you feel like you're emotionally bleeding out. Sometimes it is very hard to see God's hand in the situation. When you've been abandoned and abused by the people who are supposed to love, cherish, and protect you....It is very hard to understand where God was when all those things were happening. However, when I cried out to God, when I was in pain and I couldn't understand and I could hear my heart shattering like glass and the tears were streaming down my face because of the anguish within. I cried out to God asking him "I believe Your word, I believe the Bible is true, and You claim to be love...but I cannot see Your love. SHOW ME your love, open my eyes so I can see."
As I read His word and I saw things in a new light. I read the book of Exodus I saw how the Lord lead the Israelites out into the wilderness and He was preparing them for the battles they would face in the future. The Lord had lead the Israelites through the wilderness, which was actually the LONG way, but because He knew that they were not ready to fight and that in the face of a battle they would turn and run away. Now while in the wilderness, day after day God gave the Israelites commands. He was teaching them to be obedient, basically to "trust Him" and place their confidence in Him. However they wouldn't place their trust in Him, they neglected to do the simple things that God had asked of them. So they remained in the wilderness, yet day after day they had the chance to obey Him once again. I began to see the places in my life that God had prompted me or my family to do things, and day after day, like the Israelites we neglected to obey Him. Yet day after day He gave us a new chance to seek Him, to place our trust in Him. Slowly but surely I began to see His hand in the past, and now in the present. I began to see His faithfulness...
We need to take God at His word, we need to believe that He is the truth and what He says is true. When it's hard and you cannot understand, pray honestly with God and ask Him to show you, to open your eyes. Things are never as it seems, and even a lot of problems that we face-the circumstances themselves are not the real problem. Ask God to give you a deeper revelation of His love, to help you see His hand. Do not turn away from the Lord in your hurt, run to Him...He is the parent that we long would love us.
One of my Favourite Bible passages, Psalm 27 says this:
Verse 10 "When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me."
And verse 13-14
"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.[SUP]14 [/SUP]Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!"
Notice the verse says "I would have lost heart unless I believe I would see good in the land of the living." The land of the living is this life now...God has a good plan for us now, in this life. You can trust that even all these things that have happened, that are not even good in itself, when you place your trust in God, that HE will make these things work out for good in your life for His glory.
WAIT on the Lord, be of good courage,
and He shall strengthen your heart!
My God bless you. Love you my brothers and sisters.
-Lydia Elaine
