Mama Didn’t Smile on That Happy Day

Karen’s mother didn’t smile on her wedding day, although Karen’s husband was everything Marie had dreamed of for her daughter. The day before the wedding, Karen’s mentally handicapped brother lost his job of waiting on tables at a school cafeteria. Although social workers could easily place him in a new position, her mom remained focused on that problem the entire day.

One problem can seem larger than life and larger than God. That can cause someone to miss out on joy as they let the problem disrupt inner peace.

Years later, when Karen’s mother suffered a stroke and two cerebral hemorrhages, Karen expected her mother would never smile again. Surprise! Her mom laughed and became a more grateful woman. As families and friends surrounded her, her infirmities didn’t seem to matter. She said, “I am so thankful that Dad and all of you did not desert me but stayed by my side.” She started looking up jokes on the computer and sharing those as well as happy childhood memories. She also thought of three reasons to be grateful each day.

She overcame her greatest hidden fears—the fears of loss and rejection—when loved ones remained loyal. During the Great Depression, as a child, her parents had lost so much. She overlooked how happy they remained and that they trusted God and just started over. She only remembered that Christmas meant they’d repaint her dollhouse and her brother’s wooden truck. She had always worried about money and overlooked how her parents laughed in spite of financial difficulties. They overcame their money losses and started a new business that thrived. At last, Marie had an inner peace, trusted in God to keep her content, and laughed often.

Today’s Peace Step: Look beyond problems to God’s faithfulness and love.