“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
For the past few days, I have been spending time with my family in East Texas. As is often the case when I return to my roots, countless memories flood my mind and heart. These memories seem to pass like a movie before my mind’s eye, and I am thankful for the opportunity to weave many of my childhood experiences into my writing journey. Today, I will share one of those memories and give it a little spiritual twist while I’m at it.
Recently, measles cases have been resurgent in Texas and other parts of the United States. I had been reading about it, but it was not until my time here in East Texas that I began putting together the vivid memories of my own battle with measles and how my precious mother did all she could to comfort me.
I was around 7-8 years old when I came down with measles. I remember hearing my parents discuss the differences between Red Measles and German Measles, and I found out all too soon which one I had; mine was the more serious of the two. Consequently, having measles left me with an experience I would remember for the rest of my life.
As I lay in bed, miserable with a high fever, my mother would often come into my room, put a wet cloth on my forehead, and turn my pillow because the underside was always cooler. Since my fever heated the pillow rather quickly, it would only be a short time before Mother returned, continuously repeating this act of love as she tried to comfort her sick child.
During my illness with measles, my mother would also scrape the meat from an apple with a spoon and feed it to me. The apple was cold, and each spoonful was refreshing to this sick little girl. In those days, store-bought applesauce didn’t exist as it does today, so Mother improvised. I marvel that she did her best with what was available at the time. Even as I write this many years later, I find it strange, yet heartwarming, how an apple and a spoon could bring such everlasting memories. But that’s the impact of deep love from a mother to her child.
The love of a mother is truly a remarkable gift straight out of Heaven above. Undoubtedly, my mother served as the hands and feet of Jesus. She had a personal relationship with Him, and His love was deep inside her heart. Consequently, it came natural for her to love and serve others, especially her seven children. Mother was such a fine role model for her children; I have been highly cognizant of that all my life. I could not have asked for anyone better, and I am thankful that God chose me to be her daughter.
Just as my mother loved and nurtured her children, Jesus wants to do the same for all who seek Him. His love and help are always available to us, regardless of our stage of life. We may be young, or we may be in the last quarter of our lives, or anywhere in between. He wants to meet us right where we are. Whatever our situation, we are never too far from His reach. It is amazing how having a personal relationship with Jesus will soothe our spirits, calm our fears, and help us get through the hard places in life. He ALWAYS wants His best for us. Things will change dramatically when we relinquish what we want for what He wants. Our steps become lighter because we are fully aware that Someone is leading us along the path to everlasting life. That Someone will consistently bring peace and assurance to our lives.
If you are struggling today, why not let Jesus turn the “pillow” of your life over to the other side, where you will feel the cool, refreshing stream of His Living Water. Let Him feed you from His Word and give you nourishment that points you away from the things of this world that will soon fade away. Let Him give you a life of deep-down peace and satisfaction. He never changes, and you can be assured that He cares about every large and small part of your life. Why not trust Him today?
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus, our Lord and Savior. You paid a heavy price to send Your only Son to die for the sins of mankind. Father, in no way, shape, or form do we deserve such love. But we are humbly grateful to You for loving us that much. I pray that you will help us turn every part of our lives over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, trusting that His plan for our lives is perfect. I pray this in the name above all names, Jesus Christ. Amen.
As so many times before, you have touched me with sweet words of remembrance. I had such a mother (and later a wife) who had that “healing touch”, putting time and effort to make us as comfortable as possible during times of illness. Yet, our mothers’ love pales when compared with the love of our Heavenly Father. See you soon in San Antonio.