Readings for today: Hosea 1-5, Psalms 122
We held my father’s funeral last Friday. It was a special time. Over fifty family members flew in from all over the country. Many friends took time to attend. We were blessed by all who showed up to comfort and care and show their support. After the service, my mom and I were talking about what a blessing it was to see so many that we love. She was surprised by the number of people who came out or who called to express their condolences over the last several weeks because dad wasn’t all that connected to that many people. I told her I wasn’t surprised at all. They didn’t come for dad. They came for her. They called for her. They reached out because my mother is an absolute model of faithfulness and grace. Her unconditional love for my father over fifty-five years - forty of which he battled an addiction to alcohol - is worthy of honor. The sacrifices she made to remain true to her marriage vows is inspiring.
My mom reminds me of the prophet Hosea. Hosea remained faithful though he had every reason to abandon his marriage. His wife was a prostitute. She was an adulterous. By law, he could have had her stoned to death. But Hosea heard from God. He offered his life up as a living witness to the faithfulness of God in the face of the unfaithfulness of His people. People like Hosea or my mom are rare. Most of us, if we’re honest, would cut and run in such situations. Many of us would encourage those we love to walk away if they were cheated on or if they were verbally and emotionally abused. Adultery. Addiction. Abandonment. Abuse. A case can be made that each of these are biblical reasons for divorce. And yet, books like Hosea remind us that though we do all of these things and more to God, He never abandons us. He never walks away from us. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He is faithful. And perhaps there is something to be said for sticking with a marriage for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.
Perhaps that’s why I admire my mom so much. Of course, I admire her for many things but her faithfulness to my dad stands above them all. She loved a man who was often unlovable. She served a man who was often selfish. She continued to forgive a man who didn’t do much to earn such grace. To be fair, my dad had several redeemable qualities as well. Life wasn’t all bad with him. He was a tremendous grandfather and had softened a great deal in his later years. But the decades of addiction took a toll. At the same time, all those years of suffering have revealed a glory in my mother. She has a beauty and dignity and grace that can only come to those who have walked roads filled with great pain. She has endured. She has persevered. She has been faithful and God has honored her as a result.
Each of us has a road to walk. A road marked by suffering to some degree or another. A road filled with challenges to face, obstacles to overcome, and pain to endure. Will we remain faithful?
Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 6-10, Psalms 123