After her death , I was unsure how this tragedy would affect my family . If mothers are designed to be the glue that holds a family together , my mother felt like more — like some sort of Department of Defense , military-grade , highly classified , too-strong-for-the-public superglue . I was haunted by the thought of How can we go forward as a family ?
But I have seen us blossom despite my mother ’ s absence . I have watched everyone in my family step in and up in some of the most beautiful ways . My father has grown , as have my sisters and I .
One of the most beautiful and joyful examples of this was when my dad got remarried . My sisters and I adore my father ’ s wife , Marianne . And we were so happy for them both . But my dear grandparents , Anita and Anthony — my mother ’ s parents !— were also there to celebrate this new union . To see them supporting their son-in-law , their deceased daughter ’ s husband , as he began life with a new companion still inspires me . I am sure grateful for my family , and especially my grandparents , for letting their sorrow turn to joy . Tragedy can present an incredible opportunity for the best parts of our humanity to emerge . If you think about it , the greatest tragedy in history was the cross of Jesus Christ . And God also leveraged Jesus ’ s finished work on the cross to be-come the greatest triumph in history .
Although the disciples wept at the death of Jesus , their joy was unspeakable at his resurrection . But for the disciples , their joy hinged on accepting the fact that Jesus was who he said he was when he appeared to them after his resurrection .
Some of us are still living in the tragedies we ’ ve experienced and are unwilling to receive the comfort of Jesus . I lived that way for a long time . When my mother passed away , I was in that spot . I didn ’ t understand , and her death felt wrong in every possible way . But what I didn ’ t realize was that God was seeking to do a restorative and resurrecting work in my life . And although at that time I was unwilling because I was still so hurt , it was the beginning of incredible redemption . I believe that God wants to do the same with you .
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