Wednesday, January 07, 2015

Mornington Beach



We have not left yet, but here is a picture of a place I hope to see soon.  I thought it was time for a happier post.

A friend sent me this interesting poem, which figuratively attempts to explain where all the sorrow goes if we let it.  

Two Boxes
God's Boxes
I have in my hands two boxes,
Which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all your joys in the gold."
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes,
Both my joys and sorrows I stored,
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.
With curiosity, I opened the black,
I wanted to find out why,
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole,
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.
I showed the hole to God, and mused,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be!"
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
"My child, they're all here with me.."
I asked God, why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold and the black with the hole?
"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings, the black is for you to let go."
We should consider all of our friends a blessing.
Send this to your
 friends today just to let them know
you are thinking of them and that they are a joy in your life.,
A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end.
It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends.
But the treasure inside for you to see,
Is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.
Today I pass the friendship ball to you.
Pass it on to someone who is a friend to you...


And as packing has helped my thinking a lot, and  want to share what most people share in times of sorrow: remember to love and to honor and to forgive while your parents are with you, and your grief when they are gone will not hold the wrenching regrets. Make things right with your parents while you can. Ladies, and several men who have recently written to me have expressed regret about their attitudes toward their parents.

When my Mama's mother in law died, she wrote " remember always to love and to forgive."

One man wrote that his mother wanted him to visit her but he was in the middle of personal busy-ness and asked if  could come the next day.  When he got there, she was gone. Another lady said she still feels the pain of separation from her mother and has repented of every thing she had done that made her mother unhappy.  We all need to do this while our parents are living, so emphasize this when teaching your children. Tell them the torture of regrets that will ensue if they do not keep a clear conscience with their parents.  Parents do many things to help their children succeed, so children must be taught to pay their parents back with respect and be eager and ready to help when needed. Children should be taught to drop everything and run when their parents need them--within a Christian reasonableness, of course.

So much for a cheerful post. Actually, it is cheerful when you consider the happy, weightless feeling on the soul when the burden of sin is removed by doing the right thing before it is too late. At many mothers funerals my husband has preached, he has said our mothers would rather we give them a rose every day than all the flowers at the memorial service. Consider an kindness, consideration
 and politeness as the flower you give your mother every day. Especially thank her for what she has done for you, when these things come to mind.

Hoping for happier times, 

Lydia

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Sweet Lydia...it is sad, yes, but the blessings of having had a woman like the one you were blessed with, for a mother...well, it will take a very, very long time to count them all.

Praying for safe travel sweet lady...mari

Farrah said...

Your family has my deepest sympathies!

I like what your husband says about the mother having the roses now than at her funeral. Very thought-provoking.

I hope your travels are safe!

Helena said...

To please a mother's heart, tell her something you loved about her as a mother when you were growing up. It will warm a mother several times over. Please accept my sympathies...losing a mother is huge; may you feel God's close presence in your grief.

living from glory to glory said...

Dear Lydia, I do think we need to hear this reminder that keeping our hearts free from regrets and bad family ties are so very important. Too many have been left with words not said to restore relationships!
Safe Travels to you both!
Roxy

amulbunny's random thoughts said...

I found out yesterday that a lady I stood next to in choir for over 25 years was placed in hospice in Ohio after traveling there for a wedding and getting ill.

This morning I woke up with a phone call that she had died. I will miss her every Sunday since she always sat behind me in church. I will treasure the memories of choir programs and laughter and fun. I will pray diligently for her children and grandchildren as they make this journey of life without their mom. She was 87 years old and had bowled up to 2 years ago.

I wish you a safe and non eventful journey from the PNW to Australia. I will pray for you to be able to adapt to the loss of closeness to your mom.

God Bless.

Unknown said...

Thank you for this post, very good words and very good advice.

Michelle said...

Thank you for sharing these thoughts. We are busy helping my husbands parents everyday, and try to resolve conflicts quickly. His dad is 90 and has health issues that we have been trying to figure out. We are so thankful for all they did when our kids were young. We have been fortunate to live just down the lane from them on our family farm.

My prayers are with you and your husband at this time.

Kathy T. said...

My mother passed away 5 months ago today. The pain and emptiness seems to hit at unexpected moments, but is not as sharp as it was in the beginning. I feel your pain and hope the sharpness goes away soon. Bless you

XooX mo said...

Thank you .. Such a beautiful beautiful sentiment,
Love Mona ~

Lynn M. said...

This is all remarkably good.

So pleased you could put the Two Boxes to perfect and timely use.

The beach scene is similar to the one my mother could see from her hospital bed, from her hospital on Penobscot Bay in Maine, before she passed into Glory.

Your post is such a blessing and I sent it to my grandchildren and other people who could glean the great goodness and warmth from it.