Dear Ministry Partner,
This month’s article is written by Sharon Lam, in conjunction with Mother’s Day.
The last drop of water was the last straw. She set her son under a desert bush and sat at a distance, sobbing (Genesis 21:15-18). How could a mother bear to watch her son’s life slowly ebb away? Hagar was feeling helpless starved of water, love, hope. But God, in His love and mercy, assured Hagar that He had a plan for her son, and then He opened her eyes to the well of water.
Like Hagar, every woman has her own pains and pressure points – be it a demanding job, an ailing parent, a prodigal child, a disengaged husband, a fractured relationship, a broken dream, or even a tragic loss. Proverbs 14:10 says,
“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.”
A woman’s heart, especially that of a mother, is easily bruised because she loves much. A heart that gives freely in love renders itself to being broken and hurt. A careless word from a loved one can easily pierce the heart (Proverbs 12:18). A heart that is concerned about the “shoulds”, “oughts” and “what ifs” can get easily wearied. Our hearts can be crushed by the weight of worry, daunting caregiving demands or gaping wounds of betrayal, abuse or loss.
As we live in the gap between our ideals and realities, we are prone to question our own worth and the worth of our sacrifices. Who sees the work that we do, prays for us and knows our hopes and dreams, disappointments and fears?
The account of God’s response to Hagar reminds us of how deeply He cares for each of us too. God sees both our immediate and deeper needs, and knows our future intimately. How do we hold to this truth and persevere in living and loving with a bruised heart? Here are some ways that have helped me in my personal journey:
Be it the mundane moments or the dramas and traumas of life, God sees, God knows and God cares.
“He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds” – Psalm 147:3, NLT,
and He alone is our joy and reward.
“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.” – Psalm 30:11-12, NIV.
Blessed Mother’s Day to all mothers and spiritual mothers!
Fellow Sojourner,
Sharon Lam
Associate Team Leader
The Significance Project
亲爱的事工伙伴，
本月适逢母亲节，由陈翘湘主笔
皮袋里一滴水也没有，她彻底崩溃了，把儿子撇在矮树丛荫下，自己却走到不远处坐着大哭(创世记21:15-18)。试问天下母亲有哪个能忍心目睹自己的孩子逐渐消亡？夏甲彷徨无措 – 没水、没人爱、前途茫茫。但是 神以慈爱怜悯向夏甲保证她儿子的未来，又使她看见一口井水。
诚如夏甲，每个女人都有自己才知道的痛楚和软肋– 或工作苛刻、或父母年迈、或孩子顽劣、或丈夫冷漠、或情伤、或梦想破碎、又或曾经痛失某某。圣经说:“人的苦楚，只有自己心里知道；心中的喜乐，外人也不能分享”(箴言14:10，新译本，下同)。
女人的心容易受伤，尤其是当妈妈的，因为她爱得真切。一颗无偿去爱的心难免将自己袒露而破碎损伤。当亲爱的人一言不慎，仿佛利刀刺入心里(箴言12:18)。总是纠结于“应该”、“照理”及“万一”等考量也叫人疲惫。我们可能心力绞尽，压垮我们的是种种担忧、照顾对象的无度索求、还有那些因背叛、欺负或哀伤而留下的血淋淋伤口。
我们活在理想和现实的夹缝中，免不了质疑自己的价值以及所付出的牺牲是否值得。有谁看见我们手头的辛劳？有谁在祷告中惦记我们？又有谁能洞悉我们的寄望与梦想、遗憾和恐惧？
圣经里 神对夏甲的回应提醒了读者，祂切实顾念每一个人。神看见我们现在以及更深层的需要，并且明了个人的未来。我们该怎样抓紧这层道理，即便怀揣一颗伤痕累累的心，还能保持生命活力和爱人呢？下列几点对我个人助益良多的心得：
无论处于日常或是天翻地覆的时刻， 神都看见、 神都知晓、 神都眷顾。
圣经说：“祂医好伤心的人，裹好他们的伤处”(诗篇147:3)。
唯有祂是我们满足的喜乐。
“祢已将我的哀哭变为跳舞，将我的麻衣脱去，给我披上喜乐，好叫我的灵歌颂祢，并不住声。耶和华我的神啊，我要称谢祢，直到永远”(诗篇30:11-12，和合本)!
祝所有的母亲以及属灵的母亲：母亲节快乐!
同为寄居者，
陈翘湘
协理队长
The Significance Project
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