And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
“And now these three remain….” The word remain seems small compared to faith, hope and love. But the importance of love hope and faith is their ability to remain.
Faith. Grinding it out. Now. For the next year, day, hour, minute, or second. We break time down to whatever we can endure. Faith has a lot to do with a consistency in handlingevery day. God loves us enough to hold our hand through the toughest moments. Will we hold His hand back?
His life had been filled with challenges. Born deaf, mentally retarded, and autistic he struggled with things most families never worry about. He was his mother’s world. His dad tried to help him grow, providing him opportunities and refusing to set limits for his son. Everyday presented new challenges. The young boy faced them all, supported by his family.
Hope. We dream and wish for a brighter future. Our faith gets us through the tough times. Hope propels us to the future. Better times in our temporal home on earth. Hope for a permanent home with God. Our faith tells us it is there. Hope makes it something we can touch, if only with our minds.
His parents hoped for a world without all the challenges. But struggles remained. Then one morning before his 13th birthday he died. His mother found him that dark morning. His dad tried to revive him to no avail. He hadn’t been ill. No warning, no explanation. Hope was difficult before, now it was completely gone.
Love. Why love? Faith and hope seem irreplaceable. But without love what do we have to be faithful to? Why bother to hope? Love is the bond that glues us together. With loved ones. With strangers. Most importantly, with God. It is the heart and soul of faith and hope. Love is indeed the most important of the three.
The boy’s name is Michael. He is my son. Michael would have been a grown up now if he had lived. What about his hope? Going from wanting Michael to have a more normal live to having him gone. It shook my faith and hope. How could God have this as his master plan? How were we supposed to pick up and go on?
When we leave this world we leave many things behind. Maybe we left behind a home that was paid for with a car in the garage. The car will rust in a junkyard. The house will eventually be leveled, waiting for a new structure to replace it. There is only one thing that can transcend. Love is our legacy. It is something we can take with us and leave behind for others. It is something God promises and delivers on. It is what our eternal life with the Lord is all about.
REMEMBERING MICHAEL. More than seven years have passed. Those tough times have become distant memories. I can now replace those images with fond memories. I remember Michael catching a fish, then pretending to eat it while it was still on the line. I remember Michael’s persistence in visiting his friend 4 miles away. After failed attempts to sneak out walking, then riding a bike, Michael had a new plan. I found it out when I saw this crop of hair sticking up over the wheel of the car. And I remember him laughing as I opened the door. I remember Michael’s sister Mikayla forcing him to play with her- usually dolls or tea parties. Michael would sit there for hours making her happy. I can remember the boy who loved to cuddle with only one person, his Mom. He actually fell to sleep in her arms the night he died…
Faith to go on when times are tough. Hope for the future. And love to bring it all together.
Lord I thank you for your love for us. I thank you for the sacrifice of your son. I know how it feels to lose your child. I can’t imagine voluntarily making that choice. I pled for faith in anything to ease the pain. Lord you got me through those days. I hoped for healing. My wounds are healed. The scars that remain are a part of me that I embrace. And my memories are full of a love that sustains me until I see Michael again.
God Bless,
Mark
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