Violent winds and torrential floods have besieged the mid-West and Southern states this spring breaking long-held records and reminding all nothing in our physical life is predictable. Many have had their lives totally rearranged by a weather event they could not control. Suddenly, with no warning, a natural force changed their lives, plans, and direction, without their input in any way.
Widows understand too well the life-changing forces which are beyond their control. They too have had their lives rearranged without their consent. All of their plans and future seemed to be snatched from them with one event – the death of a spouse. Death has a strange way of making life lose all direction and sending those who are left behind into an incessant tailspin; however, life can still have purpose in the midst of grief.
A prime example of finding purpose in grief is Mary, the mother of our Savior. Imagine her devastation when she realized that her son, the promised Messiah, was dying on a cross. Only three decades before she had been greeted by an angel with the news of
God’s plan for her life. Surely, she knew her life would have its challenges, like being pregnant and not married, but she knew the challenges would be outweighed by the joy of helping to bring the Messiah to the world. Now Mary, who was already a widow, stood beneath a cross and watched her son die. Her whole purpose for life could have been lost, but she refused to allow death to keep her from bringing the Messiah to the world.
A month and a half later, Mary is joined with a group of one hundred twenty disciples in the Upper Room waiting for the empowerment of God to carry the message of a savior to the world. Truly, Mary probably expected her son would be an earthly king who would save His people through His reign on earth; however, she was willing to lay down her own perceptions and accept God’s plan of salvation which included a sacrificial death and her personal loss. Now she with the others would bring the Messiah to the world through their yielded lives, fulfilling His plan with the empowering of His Spirit.
How does this story relate to the life of the grieving? This story reminds all of us that many times life does not turn out as we anticipated; however, we, as Mary, can still have purpose in our lives. God’s plan for us has not changed. He still has things for us to accomplish and He will empower us to continue fulfilling our destiny if we will yield ourselves to His plan and purpose, and if we will wait on His Spirit to enable us to do the work ahead. Our lives do not have to come to a meaningless halt with the death of our spouses, instead we can find strength and direction by the Spirit of God to fulfill God’s plan for our lives. After all, we, like Mary still need to bring the Messiah to our world!
Widows understand too well the life-changing forces which are beyond their control. They too have had their lives rearranged without their consent. All of their plans and future seemed to be snatched from them with one event – the death of a spouse. Death has a strange way of making life lose all direction and sending those who are left behind into an incessant tailspin; however, life can still have purpose in the midst of grief.
A prime example of finding purpose in grief is Mary, the mother of our Savior. Imagine her devastation when she realized that her son, the promised Messiah, was dying on a cross. Only three decades before she had been greeted by an angel with the news of
God’s plan for her life. Surely, she knew her life would have its challenges, like being pregnant and not married, but she knew the challenges would be outweighed by the joy of helping to bring the Messiah to the world. Now Mary, who was already a widow, stood beneath a cross and watched her son die. Her whole purpose for life could have been lost, but she refused to allow death to keep her from bringing the Messiah to the world.
A month and a half later, Mary is joined with a group of one hundred twenty disciples in the Upper Room waiting for the empowerment of God to carry the message of a savior to the world. Truly, Mary probably expected her son would be an earthly king who would save His people through His reign on earth; however, she was willing to lay down her own perceptions and accept God’s plan of salvation which included a sacrificial death and her personal loss. Now she with the others would bring the Messiah to the world through their yielded lives, fulfilling His plan with the empowering of His Spirit.
How does this story relate to the life of the grieving? This story reminds all of us that many times life does not turn out as we anticipated; however, we, as Mary, can still have purpose in our lives. God’s plan for us has not changed. He still has things for us to accomplish and He will empower us to continue fulfilling our destiny if we will yield ourselves to His plan and purpose, and if we will wait on His Spirit to enable us to do the work ahead. Our lives do not have to come to a meaningless halt with the death of our spouses, instead we can find strength and direction by the Spirit of God to fulfill God’s plan for our lives. After all, we, like Mary still need to bring the Messiah to our world!
