A loving family multiplies joy and divides sorrow. Almost 30 years ago we moved into our present home and the first person to show any kindness and welcoming spirit was another mother of several young children. It was a beginning of a friendship that has lasted through the years. We have shared burdens and blessings. Last Saturday, her husband of 37 years passed away after an 8-year battle with cancer and chemo. She was surrounded by her grown children as he passed through the veil and they continued to surround her and buoy her up in their shared grief. As I visited with her that day, it struck me that the family she and her husband had brought into the world and nurtured for years was now a huge blessing who were nurturing and sustaining their mother. The family is a divine institution ordained by a God whom we address as Father. There is much sacrifice in bearing and raising children but Heavenly Father, who set the pattern, knows that a loving family multiplies joy and divides sorrow and that principle was powerfully borne witness to me as I sat with my friend that day.
No comments:
Post a Comment