"Love It Back to Life, Mama."
It's a story in our family, which I thought about as I looked at the Peace Lily plant in my house this morning. It's drooping, losing leaves and a shot of water didn't make a difference. And yet I couldn't pitch it. Why? Perhaps my grandmother's story was at the heart of my hesitancy.
So here's the story. Years ago, my grandmother was head of the Norwegian Children's Home in Brooklyn, New York and for some of the younger ones, she was the only Mama they had ever known. One day, one of the children handed her a pathetic looking plant. My grandmother took one look at it and thought that it was hopeless. Then the child, having read my grandmother's face said, "Love it back to life, Mama, like you do us."
It looks and feels like a lot is dying and desperate to be loved back to lifein our country and in many parts of this world. Like what? Well, how about trust? Respect for people unlike us? Honoring our word? Respecting borders? Just treatment of others? Care for the poor? You know, "loving our neighbors as we love ourselves." (Big neighbors, like Canada and Mexico,too.)
So how do we love something or some one back to life? Truly, I think we each know more than we're doing. For starters, one of the most important ways to love another is to truly listen to them. The story in Matthew 20:29-33 is a tender reminder of the importance of stopping to see and hear someone Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, surrounded by crowds of curious onlookers, disciples and critics, when he hears, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
Not unlike today, mercy is in short supply. So the crowds yell at these two blind men to be quiet. But these men are desperate. They've heard about this Jesus. And, even though they are physically blind, they see what most in the crowd don't recognize, Jesus is the Messiah. So they cry louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us." And Jesus stops. He stops and asks,"What do you want me to do for you?"(v.32,NLT) And they answer, "Lord, we want to see."
Well, I sense Jesus stopping and asking that of me. And of you. "What do you want me to do for you? For your family? Friends? Grandchildren? Neighbors? Country? World? This list is long but even more extensive and expansive are the mercies of God.
During Lent, is a meaningful time to say to Jesus, "I want to see." I want to see others and issues as you see them, Jesus. Then, to let Jesus love us back to life. And then to extend God's mercy to others to help them see and be loved back to life.
Lord, have mercy.
20 Comments
Beautiful piece of writing. We all need your wisdom right now.
Thank you, dear Daphne, for taking the time to read and respond to this blog. You encouraged me. And yes, we all need reminders to stop, listen and really see and hear each other. And be part of a revival of loviing each other back to life.
Thought of one of the verses in this song
Hosanna
Take my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks yours everything I am for your kingdoms cause
as I walk from earth into eternity
Hosanna!
What beautiful and meaningful lyrics, dear Nancy. I miss seeing you at Community Bible Study, but happy to see your name show up here. Thanks for your response. Music is a good way to love someone back to life.
I hope your peace lily plant makes it back to life. Thanks for your thoughtful writing.
Good morning to you, dear Mark and Carol. The plant lifted some leaves this morning in greeting. Some signs of hope. And may your day bring even more signs of hope, along with JOY. As Jud told me one morning as I looked dejectedly into a full length mirror, "Don't believe everything you see." As you well know, faith is believing without seeing.
I needed this tender sweet story and message. Plant person that I am, I’ve learned how to bring wilting plants back to life. Now with the help of our healing savior, may I be used for that purpose as well in this wilting and dark time for our beloved homeland. Thank you!
Amen, dear Radina! As a musician, you know how much music lifts drooping spirits. Sing and play on, dear friend, in Oregon. Your family, neighbors and friends need the song Jesus has placed within you. "There's within my heart a melody, Jesus whispers sweet and low. Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still, in all of life's ebb and flow."
Nailed it once again- love you!
Wow! Thanks, Candy, for your 5 star review! No Sunday comes and goes that I'm not grateful for our years at Grace Chapel. Thank you for your faithfulness through the years, serving through your welcoming ways and behind the scenes.
I love this Momo! And. I love you. I didn’t know that about Bestamore - that she ran a children’s home!
Thank you for these words!
Yes, my grandmother, ( bestemor in Norwegian) was a remarkable woman. In the 1950s she and my grandfather traveled by ship to Norway, where she received the Saint Olaf's medal from King Haakon VII for her work with Norwegian orphans in the USA. She loved many back to life. And I love you, precious Kris.
Thank you Jan for reminding us to see others as Jesus sees them, and how he sees us!
What a nice surprise to see your name, Bill. It's always a special treat to hear from family. We need a revival of the kindness and mercy we've received from Jesus. Thank you for taking the time to read the blog and respond. Your comments matter. And you are an important part of the Thomas//Carlberg family. May God bless your day with opportunities to love someone back to life, dear Bill.
"This list is long but even more extensive and expansive are the mercies of God." Thank you for this reminder. A guest preacher I heard online mentioned the same theme about dying plants- a man bought a bunch of dying plants to try to save them. The preacher cautioned, you cannot force anything to grow. However, you can create an environment where growth is an option.
Yes! Thank you for sharing this illustration, dear Alyssa. My grandmother's illustration goes back more than seventy years, but still true today. And so is the reminder to help create environments "where growth is an option." May you and Andrew be two of God's faithful "options" to love someone back to life.
Thank you for this blog. I have 2 situations r
where it applies; one to a peace lily and the other to a person. Mama's advice is almost like God speaking.
How good to hear from my college roommate! I'm grateful something in the blog encouraged you, dear Evie.. God still speaks in many ways. Sometimes through nature, like a pathetic looking peace lily. Or a blog. May God help you love your plant and this person back to life.
Hi dear Jan! I read this a couple weeks ago but didn't have time to reply - and I wanted to! So... better late than never. :)
I knew your dear Mom a little, heard her speak and read First We Have Coffee (that's the title right?) and of course you've referenced her many times. But I think this is the first I heard from/about Bestemor (that I can remember) What a wonderful, wonderful heritage you have, and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!
This: "Then the child, having read my grandmother’s face said, “Love it back to life, Mama, like you do us.”" brought tears to my eyes. So precious. As we are really near to Easter now, I do continually ask Jesus - what would you have me do? I know the things close to home pretty well, but as far as helping our dear country, it's a lot harder. And so I PRAY. He knows.
Love you!
Well, prayer is the most important connection we have to the One who can make impossible things possible. It is a dark and unsteady time in our country and the rest of the world, but The Light always pokes a hole in the darkness. And the more holes we poke, the brighter the Light. Thanks for responding to this post, dear Wendy. It's never too late to encourage someone or add some Light.