January 13
As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you;
Isaiah 66:13
One of our grandchildren or another is always stumbling as they flit about like butterflies, racing and running along the sidewalk, outside in the grass or in the house, with the resulting scrape or bruise somewhere. Immediately their mothers rush to their side and hold them close while inspecting the newly acquired injury, all the while murmuring words of comfort and reassurance to them. Almost instantly their tears turn into smiles and they pick themselves up and keep on going. My heart melts as I watched them. My daughters and daughter-in-law often share their concerns that their little ones may one day obtain a significant injury on one of these occasions. They need comfort and reassurance from those fears. So we talk about statistics and ways of protecting the little guys, and then too about our constant prayers to our Guardian Angels for protection, especially during those times we have to let go in our effort to help our little ones grow and develop.
Listening to their concerns and remembering my own days of comforting all my children through many incidents, some minor - some surely not so, I thought about how we never get too old to need comfort from our mothers. Having lost my own mother some years ago, I still miss that consolation that it seems only your mother can give. Yet, I recognize with gratitude that I have continued to be comforted! I have been soothed over and over again not only by my dear husband, but by his wonderful mother who has been my second mother for many years. I have also been comforted by family and friends that at times know me better than I know myself it seems. All these people in our lives are gifts from God - His comforting ears and voice and hands on this earth! What a blessing also, to have felt the peace in our souls that only God can give; happening when we need it most and happening when we expect it least. Having faith in Our Blessed Mother, feeling her comfort and having her as an example in my life, has also given me direction and consolation. Thinking about the special people God has placed in your life to comfort you at various junctures throughout the years, provides hope and faith in knowing that God always provides not only what we need at the time, but more importantly, who we need.
Our instinct as nurturers – some of us mothers, is to comfort our children and those whose lives we touch, and it sounds easy. But, it is not so easy to comfort a grouchy, unapproachable person who in fact, typically is just the one who needs it most. Truth is: we all need comfort and we all need to comfort one another. When watching my own children comfort theirs, I am reminded of the depth of a mother’s love. In this Scripture, as God tells us that His comfort is like “a mother’s,” we can be reassured that when life gives us scrapes and bruises, our tears will be wiped from our eyes with His soothing love; and with a smile we can pick ourselves up and keep on going.
Thank you Lord for the many, many times you have comforted me like my mother.
Again, I thank you my dear Blog friends for your prayers for our mother, Ann. She is making progress - a miracle for all she has been through, and I am reminded that each day - each moment in our lives is a gift from God.
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson
As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you;
Isaiah 66:13
One of our grandchildren or another is always stumbling as they flit about like butterflies, racing and running along the sidewalk, outside in the grass or in the house, with the resulting scrape or bruise somewhere. Immediately their mothers rush to their side and hold them close while inspecting the newly acquired injury, all the while murmuring words of comfort and reassurance to them. Almost instantly their tears turn into smiles and they pick themselves up and keep on going. My heart melts as I watched them. My daughters and daughter-in-law often share their concerns that their little ones may one day obtain a significant injury on one of these occasions. They need comfort and reassurance from those fears. So we talk about statistics and ways of protecting the little guys, and then too about our constant prayers to our Guardian Angels for protection, especially during those times we have to let go in our effort to help our little ones grow and develop.
Listening to their concerns and remembering my own days of comforting all my children through many incidents, some minor - some surely not so, I thought about how we never get too old to need comfort from our mothers. Having lost my own mother some years ago, I still miss that consolation that it seems only your mother can give. Yet, I recognize with gratitude that I have continued to be comforted! I have been soothed over and over again not only by my dear husband, but by his wonderful mother who has been my second mother for many years. I have also been comforted by family and friends that at times know me better than I know myself it seems. All these people in our lives are gifts from God - His comforting ears and voice and hands on this earth! What a blessing also, to have felt the peace in our souls that only God can give; happening when we need it most and happening when we expect it least. Having faith in Our Blessed Mother, feeling her comfort and having her as an example in my life, has also given me direction and consolation. Thinking about the special people God has placed in your life to comfort you at various junctures throughout the years, provides hope and faith in knowing that God always provides not only what we need at the time, but more importantly, who we need.
Our instinct as nurturers – some of us mothers, is to comfort our children and those whose lives we touch, and it sounds easy. But, it is not so easy to comfort a grouchy, unapproachable person who in fact, typically is just the one who needs it most. Truth is: we all need comfort and we all need to comfort one another. When watching my own children comfort theirs, I am reminded of the depth of a mother’s love. In this Scripture, as God tells us that His comfort is like “a mother’s,” we can be reassured that when life gives us scrapes and bruises, our tears will be wiped from our eyes with His soothing love; and with a smile we can pick ourselves up and keep on going.
Thank you Lord for the many, many times you have comforted me like my mother.
Again, I thank you my dear Blog friends for your prayers for our mother, Ann. She is making progress - a miracle for all she has been through, and I am reminded that each day - each moment in our lives is a gift from God.
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson