“Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother¹s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene” (John 19:25).
Each year at Easter I read the story of the crucifixion in the Gospel of John. I like his way of telling the event best, because his memories of those days and nights are so personal.
I am always moved to read the names of the people who stayed with Jesus until the very end. One of those people was His mother.
I can imagine the scene, can’t you? A mother, who loves her Son, watching Him go through the most pain a man can endure. A mother standing helplessly. A mother watching her Son suffer. A mother staying until the very end, until Jesus said, “It is finished.”
Our job as mothers is to be with our children in a supportive way when they go through the hardest times of their lives. We should be there for them, whether or not we really understand the reasons for their actions; whether or not we agree with them.
It is hard to watch our children suffer; yet we must take courage and walk with them when their life gets hard. It’s then that we can show our children how much we love them.
Don¹t hide your face when your children go through hard times. Be there for them. You don’t have to do anything. You probably should not say anything. Just be there.
Kimberly Snider is a missionary to the Philippines.
From “Moments for Moms,” a free email subscription.
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