Until My Last Breath

A few months ago this photo made its way through the Facebook news feed with the following caption:

A mother (97 years old) in China,

feeding and taking care of her paralyzed son 

(60 years old) everyday.

A reminder of the amazing human spirit of 

human compassion 

and more importantly, motherly love.

I can't stop looking at it.
An image of love.

A giving love. A selfless love. A sacrificial love.
And it is all in the details...
The simplicity of the surroundings,
the curve of her back,
and the grey in her son's hair.
I can only imagine what it must have
taken to prepare
this simple meal for her son,
and knowing that she will continue to
care for him day after day...
Until her last breath.

 I understand it,
because I too am a mother.

The moment my children were born my heart was
 transformed into something brand new.
Their very existence takes my breath away.
My heart whose capacity for such deep,
abiding love seems improbable,
but a mother's heart is capable of many things.
Love, unconditional and never-ending.
Agape love...
a love that demands nothing in return.

It is a love that will endure...
 Until my last breath.

I am privileged to be counted among
an elite group of mothers
who are raising a child/adult with special needs.
I am continually humbled by
 these phenomenal women.

The unforeseen circumstances of
our child's birth unites us all together.
We have been given the extraordinary assignment
of caring for someone who literally cannot live without us.

Every single day affords us the opportunity
to be an example of agape love.
In the midst of the chaos, the unpredictability,
and the mind-numbing exhaustion,
we are given the opportunity to handle each crisis
with an attitude of
 love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
compassion, gentleness, and self-control.

I am currently reading the book,
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World 
by Joanna Weaver.
In it she reminds us that,
"We are God's love letter to the world...
whether we like it or not, we're the only Jesus
some people will ever see."

She challenges us to become examples worth imitating.

I realize that I have been given a unique
opportunity to serve our God,
and it is all in the details.

I have been called.
I can continually strive to be an example worth imitating.
In taking care of this boy
I can be God's love letter to the world...
Until my last breath. 

By this everyone will know 
that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.
John 13:35

Update:  As many of you know, Scotty and I have started a little pet care "business" and it has been amazing, but that is fodder for another blog, but I had to share this.

We were leaving our friend Jack the boxer's house the other day and Scotty spotted a wall hanging by the back door.  Scotty called my name to show me and proceeded to kiss the wall hanging and then knelt down in front of it to pray...

It was The Prayer of Jabez and it had no markings on it whatsoever that would lead him to drop to his knees and pray...no crosses...no pictures...just writing and some design around the edges???

Jabez is an interesting guy, his name literally means born of pain and grief.  He was a hero of the faith in a generation of mostly unfaithful people, including his own family.  He called upon God and God answered his prayer.

Hmmm...

Last week someone posed the question on Facebook, 

"I believe in miracles, do you?"

How could I not?

“Each one of us, in our own lives,

 every day, can give witness to Christ,

 with the power of God, the power of faith.”

Pope Francis