As a mother, it is hard for me to watch my son struggle. Autism has brought many challenges for him, and sometimes it’s heart wrenching to watch. Despite his objections, we must help him learn how to eat, how to dress, how to advocate for his needs. He can’t do these things by himself, or at least, I know he wouldn’t make himself.
But with the love of a devoted family behind him, he is slowly learning. We’re seeing progress and I know we’re better off.
The work. is. worth. it.
But I don’t feel that way when I see the tears dribbling down his cheeks during therapy. My heart is more torn up than it is resolved to keep going.
Is this how God feels toward me? When His plan involves pain and He sees a pillowcase stained with tears… does He heart drop when mine breaks? Does He wish He could take the pain away before it has had time to yield its good results?
I have to believe the answer is yes.
We see God’s heart of compassion all throughout Scripture. In Judges 10 we find the Israelites disobeying God, again. They are under oppression from their enemies, and cry out for deliverance. God refuses because He had delivered them so many times, yet they continued to “play the harlot.”
This hard time pushes Israel to repent. It says they put away foreign gods and served the Lord. That verse goes on to say “and He [God] could bear the misery of Israel no longer.”
His heart was heavy with His people’s suffering.
What a tremendous comfort this gives to me. The suffering of His people mattered to Him! If my suffering is on His mind and weighing on His heart, surely He must have thought it through with great care. Surely it must have an important purpose, for we never suffer without reason. And He must’ve deemed that reason worth the cost.
As I struggle with health issues and fertility, there are some promises of Scripture I must cling to – one being that God is good. So, if in His wisdom He ordains that I should undergo a certain trial, I may not understand His ways, but I can rest in His heart for me.
He only wants the best, and His working will accomplish something good.
His grace doesn’t fail and His deliverance will come at a preordained time.
Yes, at just the right time, He will bear my misery no longer, and the same hand of mercy that rescued Israel will rescue me.
When that moment finally comes, I pray I am found as Israel was in that moment – repentant and worshiping a God whose “eyes are toward the righteous” and whose “ears are open to their cry.” (Ps. 34:25)
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
None of us who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
©️Grace Baeten 2023
The Misplaced Mom 
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