Moms Want to Kiss Away the Hurt

It doesn’t matter what age our child is, there are times when us Moms want to waive a magic wand and make it all better for them. There are the usual potholes of life that our kids have to deal with – hurt feelings, last choice for the team, overlooked for the part, break ups and meltdowns.   Then there is the pain that comes into their lives that seems too much to bear for anyone, let alone our child. And as Moms, our hearts break for these times in our child’s life, no matter how old they get.   Our son Colt just experienced something that I hope he never has to go through again. He buried a friend and fellow fireman – a young man, 23 years old, killed in the line of duty.   I’ve been to too many funerals where the body up front seemed like it shouldn’t be there. It’s just too soon – there was still so much life ahead for the deceased. This was a funeral like that. This young fireman has a new wife of a few months who pictured her life with him, but she’s left now with memories and a very different future.   I can’t imagine how the parents must be feeling – it’s an unimaginable loss for any mom or dad. They raised a son to make a difference and, way too soon, he’s gone.   As a mother, when I saw Colt dressed in his formal uniform, wearing the badge of a Phoenix Fireman, I wanted to hug him and remind him that, because his friend had put his faith in Christ, he was very much alive in heaven and he would see him again.   Just like I had done with scraped knees and daily disappointments, I wanted to say or do something to help take the pain away and help make sense of such a senseless loss.   And yet, at these times, there’s not much a Mom can do or say to make it better. We just need to be there, lifting our kids up in prayer as they process their hurt and grief and, hopefully, as they turn to God with their unanswered questions and pain. That’s what I was doing, amidst my own tears, for Colt and for the family as they laid this young man to rest.  

…We do not grieve as those who have no hope…Comfort one another with these words.  I Thessalonians 4: 13,18