Monday, January 2, 2012

What is the Meaning of Life?

Have you ever wondered what the meaning of life is? What comes to mind when you first hear the question? I have been pondering this question for a week now. I have three different answers, I mean what context are we talking about. I think of a newborn child as a precious life given from
God. I think of my earthly life as I have fun hanging out with my family and friends. Then there is my everlasting life with my father in heaven.

What has caused me to wonder about life is Mary. My niece isa caretaker for Mary who is 33. Mary was born with cerebral palsy and a cleft pallet. She is completely blind, with exception of seeing shadows. She is also completely deaf. She was not expected to live beyond 2 weeks. She is fed threw a tube for nourishment and also is fed soft food snacks. She sleeps on a bed that vibrates to the sound of music. She can hug you pull you close and also pushes you away. Her mother comes by daily to spend an hour with her - hugging her. Her father visits regularly - He talks to her and does both sides of the conversation. to some extent because she randomly laughs out loud and also cries. However she is unable to communicate her needs.

When I think about Mary and the meaning of life with respect to Mary and being a precious gift of life from God, I wonder if I would think so If I was her mother. I know many people have had children with Downs Syndrome or something else and have found them to be more precious gifts than those born completely healthy. I just wonder if I had a child who could not communicate with me, see the look of love in my eye, or hear me tell them I love them, if I had a child who was bed ridden for there entire life, would I see him/her as that precious gift of life

When I think about Mary with respect to our earthy life, I can honestly say, I would not want to live that way. I feel this way because I know a different life. I so much enjoy my time with family and friends. I can not imaging what life would be like if I could not go visit a friend, see a friend, speak to a friend. I know Mary knows no other life, so fortunately she does know what she is missing. I wonder if Mary is fulfilled in her life. I find it hard to imagine.

The bible teaches us that Life is the everlasting with God in heaven. Accepting Jesus Christ as our personal savior and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is what gives us everlasting life. I wonder does Mary know Jesus Christ? How do you tell Mary about Jesus? How can she accept him as her Lord and savior? I want to think that somehow some way Jesus has talked to her and when she laughs, she is laughing with Jesus and when she cries, she cries for him. Maybe she is the lucky one, maybe she has always been able to have a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ, maybe for Mary it comes easy because she does not have so many other distractions.

I don't know the answer. I just know Mary has brought a lot of questions.

2 comments:

  1. Lorraine, I so appreciate your lovely thoughts on Mary and her life and it's worth. You are so transparently honest in sharing your heart and it has caused me to think about those in my life who I might "pity" but who might be much closer to the Lord than I might even guess. Thank you, friend.

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  2. Wow! That is a powerful message, Lorraine. Thanks for sharing that. You've given us much food for thought. Thanks!

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