Momspirational Life

Five years ago, I encountered a situation that struck me deeply. My Mom succumbed to health complications after a seventeen-day battle in the hospital. Suddenly, I found myself motherless. Her loss meant embarking on a journey of personal growth in ways I had never imagined – spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. The void left by her absence challenged me to navigate uncharted territories and adapt to a new reality. It was a profound shift that reshaped my perspective and tested my resilience. Despite the pain, I found myself on a transformative path, seeking peace in the memories and lessons my Mom had left behind.

In the month of February, I often find myself experiencing deep emotions. As time goes by, I uncover new aspects of myself that have been healed through the passage of time. I have made mistakes, but I have also experienced unexpected personal growth over the years. The pain of my Mom’s absence has gradually lessened as I’ve gone through a process of healing.

Write the Story

One of the last things my Mom said to me before she passed away was, “Write the story.” I was an emerging blogger at the time, and my Mom was my biggest fan because she loved seeing how God was working through my writing. I held onto that sentiment, keeping it close to my heart as I ventured into uncharted territory. However, I found myself consumed by bitterness and apathy towards my true calling. I convinced myself that my modest following meant I did not need to prioritize my writing, as I was internally focused on survival. Over the years, life had become more demanding, with new responsibilities taking precedence.

To even think about beginning to write again, I would have had to deeply explore my inner self, as that is the core of most of my blog content. I was not ready to confront what the Lord wanted to show me because it would have meant accepting brokenness in order to find healing.

Seeing the Blessings through the Sorrow

Through my new journey, God was, and is continuing to be, faithful in ways I never expected, even when I was feeling spiritually worn. Despite refocusing on my writing in the last year after taking time to finish my education, I am forever grateful for those God used to encourage me through my journey in growing into the woman God desired for me to be. Though, I have a ways to go in my walk with the Lord, I am further than I was five years ago. There is a divine strength that grows in a person’s heart when they have to walk through unknown territories without a loved one cheering them on. Yet, their loved one’s memories resonate through your family members, friends, and everyday moments.

One of the most crucial lessons I’ve learned and still continue to learn is that sorrow can transform into joy when you focus on Jesus. This thought brings to mind John 16:20, which, in its context, refers to the period when Jesus is departing, and while His disciples may feel sorrow, they will soon experience joy.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” John 16:20

Looking at the word joy in this verse in a word study, it bears a significant meaning. In just general knowledge or understanding, the word joy brings to mind contentment, gladness, or delight. However, to take this into a further, I looked at the Strong’s Greek for the word “joy.” and under “HELPS-Word studies,” it made reference to the awareness of God’s grace, favor, and joy. I found this interesting, yet not surprising as I read this, I thought of “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” This is derived from the book of Nehemiah 8:10 where it says to not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Joy within Strength

How interesting is that strength is referenced as the joy of the Lord? This makes perfect sense because in the Hebrew translation, the word, joy, in the Strong’s Concordance has a meaning of “be joined.” The word, strength, in the NAS Exhaustive Concordance means a place of safety. Basically, Nehemiah was saying to be joined to the Lord for a place of safety; meaning, God’s protection for you strengthens you as you become joined with Him. To be joined with the Lord may mean having quality time reading the Word, singing worship music, or even ministering to others. It means to lay down what is or could hurt you spiritually to seek the refuge of the Lord.

What I just realized as I write this is a memory back when I was travelling to visit my Mom while she was hospitalized. Deep down, I knew I might have had to make peace with her going Home. Yet, I was not ready to accept that. As I was driving, the Lord spoke to my heart saying to sing worship music. I do not recall what I was singing, but I remember it was raining while I was driving. When I started singing, the clouds moved and sunshine shown down, which brought me a supernatural comfort I never experienced before. Although the loss of my Mom still hurt at that time, I will never forget that hug from God before the storm I was about to walk through.

I am grateful for the lessons I learn that I can share with my readers. I pray that you can find comfort in what I write.

Love, Tabitha