God truly turns ALL things – even suffering and weakness – to the GOOD…
When my mother in law passed away (God rest her soul), my husband was a bit lost. After all, he is a very good son. He spent all his life watching out for his mother. Each evening he would call her to make sure that she was okay and that there was nothing that was worrying her or troubling her during the day. He was after all the youngest son, and being the youngest son, he was the child who – perhaps – felt her pain more than others. When his father passed away very suddenly (may God rest his soul) he was a very young child. And he watched his mother struggle in the years afterwards with her young children and her situation.
And so, after she died, he was lost. Who would he check on and who would he care for? It is – after all – a terrible burden and a wonderful blessing to have to carry the care of a parent during this Earthly life.
When my maternal grandmother passed away (God rest her soul), my mother was a bit lost. After all, she is a good daughter. My father was also a bit lost as he too is a good son. And this was because they had lost someone to care for. My maternal grandmother required a lot of care and attention towards the end of her life. A human being struggles to live independently at the age of one hundred, and it makes sense that their children (and others) are required to help to care for them.
When these precious souls pass away – when they leave us to go (we pray) to a better place, we feel their loss keenly.
And I have been reflecting on why…
After all, one would think that losing the burden of that care would make it easier to live our lives. But it certainly has not been the case in my experience or among those who I love. And I think I have worked out why…
I believe it is because when we care for the sick or the weak or those who we love, we care for God. This is our way of loving God Himself. After all, God is inside every single human soul. So, when we offer our time and love and effort to care for the sick or the dying or the people who are just plain weaker than us, what we are really doing to offering ourselves to the Holy Will of God and making a sacrifice of the efforts we make on the altar of God’s own love.
What else would it hurt so much when we lose people who inconvenience us so much? Why else would we cry – not to see an end to their suffering (for many people in this situation suffer very much which is why they need our care) – but because we have lost our purpose in caring for them?
I think it is because when we lose a loved one who requires a little extra care, we lose a little piece of Heaven on Earth. And when I think about that today, I am glad. For God truly turns ALL things – even suffering and weakness – to the GOOD…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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