Today my parents are burying one of their best friends. When you think about it with the natural mind her story is just devastating. Plagued by a mental illness that runs in her family, my brother's Godmother suffered for over 20 years before passing away earlier this week. I know my parents are experiencing a great loss as they shared so many memories dating back to their college days with this woman. At first, I was praying for my parents and thanking God that I still had both of them. I was filled with such a strong feeling of appreciation when I heard God ask me..."but did you pay attention to the love story?"
See, my parents' friend married her husband right before they graduated from college in 1969. When the first episodes of her mental illness sprung up in the early 90s he was right by her side. They saw several doctors, overhauled their lifestyle and strategically prepared for their uncertain future. As her symptoms progressed and became seemingly unmanageable, her husband was left with no choice but to put her in a home surrounded by professionals. He was left to raise their three sons on his own while making sure they still had as much of a relationship with their mother as possible. He knew his wife was no longer in her right mind and that he would probably never get to spend time with the woman he married decades ago. Still, he never left her side, made sure she was always taken care of and handled every detail surrounding her life right up and through today as he hosts all her family and friends to say goodbye to her one last time.
Doesn't that sound a lot like God's love? No matter which way you turn, no matter what happens in your life, no matter if you are in your right mind or not...God is ALWAYS there to take care of you. He still sees about every detail in your life and no matter what you do...He NEVER leaves you. I was always told that marriage was the closest example of God's love we would ever have on earth but it wasn't until I thought about this particular marriage that I truly understood the point of that saying.
So today, as my family says goodbye to a remarkable woman who fought the good fight, I would like to wish an early Happy Valentine's Day to my true Valentine...a God that is not concerned with my current mental state, the way I look, or what I can do for Him...He loves me just to love me...and for that...I am thankful.
Amazing, just like the person who wrote it.
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