I once had a black and white picture of some rocks covered in patches of snow with a caption challenging the viewer to look beyond the obvious to see what the hidden picture. If you look long enough, with the objective to see the mystery revealed, something amazing will come into view. Sometimes God’s purpose in things He allows in our lives is like that picture; all we can see is a mess.
My Mom passed away of colon cancer in 2001 when my youngest daughter was only six, depriving her of that special relationship of a doting grandma, the only grandma she really had. Since that time, some others have stepped in to fill some of that void, but no one can completely take her place — for either of us.
This morning when I awoke, I began to talk to God about how I wish my Mom could see her now to be here to be a part of this new phase of my daughter’s life, to see her move from childhood into adulthood as she prepares to go off to college. And suddenly there it was, as I began to thank Him for leading all of us to the Cross — to our salvation, to the knowledge of eternity and the end of death and sorrow and goodbyes — the picture came sharply into view. I saw it all as clearly as He must have seen in from the beginning — how the sorrow, and the suffering and the trial of cancer would bring her to Him and how we would follow. I remembered how He sent angels to encourage and comfort us and how He grew our faith with signs and wonders, things beyond coincidence, painting the canvas of yet another masterpiece that has now come into view.
Oh, about the picture of rocks and snow — in it is the face of our dear Savior, Jesus, and the person that gave me the picture in the first place was my dear Mom.
“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” (1 Cor 13:12 NKJV)
Sonya Richards