The Story of You
Several things influenced my reflection this week, all different.
First, today is Mother’s day. The second thing was a movie. Third was a friend’s
death. Last was words spoken in a personal introduction. These focused my
thoughts on Jesus’ words of love, “Remain in me as I remain in you.”
Mother’s day is about unconditional love. We hear unconditional
love in the Acts of the Apostles. Unconditional love John says is “not that we
love him, but that he loved us.” Unconditional love usually associated with a
mother’s love, based on nothing but us. It’s the love God has for us. God the Father
loves us like a mother. Let’s look at the two.
Mother
· Always
there for her children
· Defends
children against all, die for them
· Fixes
scraps, kisses hurts, mends broken heart
· Loves
children even if they hurt/neglect her
· Loves
children with unconditional love
|
God
· Always
there for us,
· Jesus
died for us, for our sins
· Forgives
us - fixes us no matter what we do
· Loves
us when we hurt/neglect him by sin
· Loves
us with unconditional love
|
The movie told the story of a mother. She’s talked into
going on an adventure. Self-conscious of scars and stretch marks, she sees ugly
and is overwhelmed when asked to go for a swim. Then, one who loves her says
she’s beautiful. He sees beauty in the scars and stretch marks; they’re part of
her. He says “These scars are the story of your life.”
God knows from beginning of time, the story of you; a story that carries scars of sin and mistake. God looks at these and thinks you're beautiful. He still wants to be part of the story, “Remain in me as I remain in
you.”
A friend died; he was younger than me. I remember him as a
teenager sleeping on the floor of my parent’s house. His was a story with let’s
say – adventure; so, he picked up lots of scars. He shared these adventures and
scars with my brother. Growing older, facing illness and his mortality, his
story changed. A lawyer, he worked with the poor, often without charge. He taught
Sunday school to kindergartners and lived a life with prayer. The story
of his earthly life ended at 50.
At the funeral, my brother asked about forgiveness. God
knows the things we did were bad. Will God forgive him? I told him God’s unconditional
love is forgiveness no matter how bad we’ve been. This is the salvation of
Jesus. I told my brother to be happy, our friend’s story ended in Christ. “Remain
in me as I remain in you.”
Friday, at a meeting with our Priest, I was introduced to
the new student vice-president at Catholic Campus Ministries. Father said, “She
is a beautiful soul.”
It all came together. We are beautiful souls; Christ remains in us. We live an
adventure picking up the scars of sin. We see ourselves as ugly, unworthy of
being loved, but that’s not what God sees. God sees the beautiful soul he
created living the story of you.
God loves us like a mother, unconditionally, scars and all.
God sees beautiful, forgiven by the Christ in us. God desires for
us to remain in him through Jesus Christ. The truth to be found is that the story of
you begins in God and through grace, ends in God.
On this Mother’s day, remember the beautiful story of the
soul found in your mother. Mothers see a beautiful story of you;
just as God does.
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