Tears from Two Rivers-Reflections by Martha's Dad

Standing behind Him weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, Luke 7, verse 38. Whenever the Lord draws close, we respond with awe and wonder falling down as did John on the Isle of Patmos. More often than not we respond also with weeping as did the woman forgiven when the Spirit comes and Jesus is present. We sense anew that our Rescuer and Defender is near. Tears of gratitude flow as a great river of joy and thanksgiving.

So it is for us when our love for Martha consciously mingles with the sight of her disabling symptoms of cancer, both within the Holy Spirit’s palpable embrace and reassurances. Sweet destructions within the Sovereign’s intentions for Paradise soon to be realized for another of His own.

All His breakers and waves wash over, Psalm 42, verse 7, Martha and each of us holding her hands…some of us physically present, others a thousand miles distant. All caught in the love enabled purposes of God as His waves wash over.

A second great river of tears has its source in watching the destruction of Martha’s body: more feeble mobility, progressive weightlessness and energy loss and words and expressions that grow scarce, barely connecting us together. A grain of wheat dying into the ground wrapped and safe in the Jesus promise of new life and greater fruit bearing, John 12, verse 24.

This river also remembers a little blonde girl with a big smile and enough spunk to climb toy shelves six feet from the floor wiping them clean of all they possessed. Not to be forgotten however are the scores of lives drawn into the Savior’s loving embrace by her recently exercised gifts of bold love, transparency and words of courage ‘It is what it is’, as she trusts the One who was the first grain of wheat to go into the ground and  die that others might truly live.

Two rivers, one of gratitude and thanksgiving born under grace given by our only Rescuer and Defender; one river born of the earth and our humanity, made up of grief, mourning and transient loss. Rivers that mingle and join, flow into one and take us to the very gates of the City of God.