Why does this story and picture make me absolutely warm and happy inside? Well, yes it is so cute and sweet when you know what you are looking at! This mother tiger lost her cubs in premature delivery and was depressed after the loss. They wrapped piglets in tiger print cloth and she loves them as her own now! Just look at those content piglets - drinking mother's milk from the tiger I would imagine?!? I can only imagine the comfort of their warm growing bodies laying across her broken heart. Talk about healing on the very elemental/animal level. Yes! It is such an especially powerful and loving sight for me, who lost numerous little ones that I ached to hold and love and feed and bring into my family. The losses were so hard, and truly the Cross of my child-bearing years. We had always wanted to be open to all life and to have a large family as we both grew up that way... I the oldest of 12, and my husband the number 6 in 10 children. My doctor said that he would always remember when I came in for my first pregnancy and told him that I was going to have 12 children. I did! I have 5 with me, and 7 to meet in heaven some day.
Maria with her oldest Therese!
I have shared that now I have to share my losses with one of my 3 married daughters - Maria. How I have prayed that this would not happen, but not only has it but I was with her both times! So hard! Yet, I do see the Lord's hand in it just the same... I see that with all my experience and dealing with it through my Faith all those times, that I was the perfect person to be with her and help her through. I watched her strength in the midst of her disappointment and loss, and watched her tearfully share with her sweet little Therese the first time. They both wept together! After two losses, she became pregnant with Patrick and all went well until his traumatic birth. I will not go into that here except to say that he is healed and advanced for his age now at almost 19 months! If you would like to read about this huge event in our lives, I have written a page about
Maria with her two oldest, then the two losses, and now Patrick and #4 or #6 is on the way- a person can look at it either way! Therese understands that each one whether here or in heaven will always be part of our families by her comment a few years back when Maria lost her second and told her..."Mommy, we are going to have to get a big van when we go to Heaven for all those kids!" Therese truly does have a heart for the spiritual view of LIFE! It is like those sunglasses make is possible for her to see things through The LIGHT - through Christ and His Bride, The Church! Today's Gospel from Mark 4 is that great one about putting our LIGHT on a lampstand and not covering it with something. After my Most Cherished Cross/Patrick my husband said the words of direction from the Holy Spirit for our family now and for generations to come - "The world needs LIGHTS!" - this has set the groundwork for our marriage and family and those of our children. I see that each of our girls and their spouses are open to LIFE and all that comes with it - embracing our Most Cherished Cross will bring us LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT! Yes, there will be hardships along the way and suffering is all a part of this dying to self so that we can love and serve our families without counting the cost!
The 4 princesses - Nancy had made them all crowns when Susan was born! After Susan I lost 2 miscarriages - one was at the same time my 28 year old sister, Mary, died of cancer! Did I get depressed, like the tiger I started this with? I wept and suffered very much, but my other little ones kept me content and busy and my faith kept me from falling into deep depression. I did have John then, and our first boy came into a home filled with girls, but he loved it and was adored! I have thought that if I had known that he would be my last one to share my life with - I might have had a major breakdown of deep depression. How did the Lord help me through that? By giving me two boys I carried 5 months each and are buried at the cemetery, and another 14 week loss. If that sounds like the way to truly have a breakdown - well, it eased me into my later years when I no longer got pregnant and gave me 3 more praying for me and waiting for me in Heaven. I sure must need a lot of prayers on my journey! It really is mind boggling to see that going through those hard experiences of heart rendering loss led me to a place of acceptance of the family I had been blessed with. A family that is very close and cherishes those here with us after suffering the loss and pain together!
Therese with her namesake necklace! How she loves and adores ST Therese, and speaks about her answering prayers from Heaven.
Jesus, how we fall on our knees and ponder the mystery of our lives! We think we have it all figured out and then it goes down a different path or we are called to suffer a loss or are hurt... what do we do? We weep and we ask why over and over, but we eventually put it in your hands and trust. We know that YOU are LOVE and that you are in control in the midst of our storms of LIFE! In our weakness is when we turn to YOU, O Lord. So I want to be weak and humble always, so that I am yours totally and completely without reservation! I ask that you humble me, Lord, and that "wounded I will not cease to LOVE." The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and that Word is LOVE - YOU my Jesus! You give us everything and show us the Way to go, The Truth to follow, and the LIFE to live now and forever with YOU! May we in turn give without counting the cost all the Mercy YOU have shown us - Remembering all you shower us with in our journey in our domestic Church/family may we in turn give our all to them! Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
Basking in the LIGHT in my inner temple with my Mother of Heaven and earth!
“Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.”
― Thérèse de Lisieux
― Thérèse de Lisieux
“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”
― Thérèse de Lisieux
― Thérèse de Lisieux
Mary and her pet - Snowball!
Girl and her animal friend - she has no idea that every 5 year old girl doesn't have a big cow for a pet.
Danielle Rose - The Litany of Humility
Casting Crowns - Praise you in the storm
No comments:
Post a Comment