And we know that in all things God works for the good
of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Dear Jesus, I dreaded this day for decades. In the church of my youth, on Mother’s Day you wore a red rose if your mom was living, and a white one if she had passed. What 11-year-old kid wants to be reminded of the day his mom died in a car wreck? I never wore a white rose, and I stopped going to church on that day.
Seven years later, I came to know you, and I discovered that great verse, Romans 8:28. But I started using it like a band-aid on a corpse, so wanting an instant cure for the deadness in my heart. But like all forms of denial, it collapsed under the weight of reality. Jesus, you are a healer, not an illusionist.
Thankfully, I now realize Romans 8:28 claims us. we don’t claim it. This great promise is a journey, not as a moment—a womb in which new life is being born; not a panacea for pretenders, or a spiritual-epidural for temporary relief.
Jesus, thank you that whatever our wound, loss, betrayal, or heartache, you are faithfully at work for our good, healing, and freedom. The wounds we carry can become a portal through which your mercy, grace, and love flow to others.
I miss my mom fiercely, and I so look forward to being with her one Day. Help all of us for whom Mother’s Day isn’t an easy day (for whatever reason), not be defined by our “white roses,” to rest more in your love, and grow more compassionate towards others. So very Amen we pray, in your tender and triumphant name.