(I wrote the words below in the last days of my mother's life (since then lightly edited for clarity). She taught me many things in those days, the most important of which is this: God's perspective is the only one that counts - our human perspective is often very flawed. As Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.")
For years, I thought my mother's life was sad. Most people who knew her felt the same way. She was always depressed, always unhappy, and could not break free from the mental prison she created for herself. I thought I had the wisdom to understand her life, and that my perspective was the only valid perspective.
However, the scriptures tell us the following in 1 Corinthians 1:19-20: "For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world?"
How wrong I was! I had forgotten the most important thing about her, the thing that made all the difference: her faith. God never forgets those who love him and keep his commandments, and it was the same with her. Even though she could never see it, because of her faith God gave her a wonderful life: a husband who loved her, four children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. God rewarded her faith with the strength to accomplish her daily work despite the negative thoughts that continually haunted her.
Even when she was in a nursing home, her faith continued to amaze me. One Friday after work, I drove to Pulaski to see her. The traffic was heavy, and work had been frustrating that day. I didn't have much patience left by the time I walked into her room. I talked to her for a few minutes, and then she began to sing a church hymn. Here she was, stuck in a nursing home, with Alzheimer's destroying her mental functions, and yet she had the presence of mind to sing a hymn of praise to God. In a situation that most people would consider intolerable, her mood was positive; she was praising God for all He had done for her. I realized then that I was perfectly healthy, in the prime of life, able to do anything I wanted or go anywhere I wanted, yet my mood had been negative all day long. I decided, on that particular day, her mental faculties were working better than mine.
A popular hymn tells us that "faith is the victory". I can't think of a better example of this than my mother. Her faith was the victory over a lifetime of depression. May God in his grace grant us all such faith!
