Why don’t we ask, “Why?” more often? That simple little question could very well lead to essential communication that could clear up a plethora of misunderstandings. How many times do we just assume things rather than take the necessary steps to gathering the actual facts of the matter? And there might be lots of heartaches avoided if someone would only take the time to ask, “Why?”
I have just such a story for you today. A very tragic tale of estrangement between a son who never ever took the time to understand the mother he simply chose to hate! Maybe it was just easier for him to nurse the bitterness in his soul rather than be mature enough to learn the real story.
It is my prayer that this tale might serve as a “wake up” call to anyone out there who is living in ignorance and that state isn’t leading to bliss! Maybe a kiss might be much more in order and could be the desired result if you would just do your homework and gather some information!
I would wish that you would ask, “WHY?” before the relationship totally dies! I will let this broken man tell you his own story:
“My mom only had one eye and I hated her… She was such an embarrassment to me. I believe my father left her because she was so hideous to look at. We were so poor that she cooked for the students and the teachers at my school to support the family.
There was this one day during my elementary years where my mom came in to me just to say hello to me. I was horrified by her decision to associate with me in public! I didn’t want anyone to know that this “thing” was my mother. How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a look of total disdain and ran out for my dear life.
The next day at school one of my friends blurted out so all could hear, ‘EEEE, your mom is that lunch lady who only has one eye!’ I wanted to disappear and bury myself but more than that I just wanted my mom to go away and leave me forever. So I confronted her that day and said right to her face, ‘If you’re only purpose on this earth is to make me a laughing stock to all who know me, why don’t you just go away and die?’ My mom did not respond…
I didn’t even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was so full of rage and anger. I was oblivious to her feelings. All I wanted was to be out of that house, move far, far away and have nothing to do with her again.
So I studied real hard, got a scholarship and wiped the dust of that shabby little town off of my feet and got the heck out of there for good. I shed no tears even as my mother tried to share her feelings with me. It was, ‘Goodbye and good riddance!’ I did real well in college, graduated with honors, got a great job that paid exceptionally well, got married, had some kids, bought a big house of my own and never looked back once. To my family, and me I had no mother!
Then one day, out of the clear blue, my mother came to visit me. She hadn’t seen me in years and she had never even met my wife or her grandchildren. When she came up my drive, my children began to scream out of fear, for all they saw was a one-eyed lady coming at them. I pretended I had no idea who this creature was. I yelled at her for frightening my kids and threatened to call the police if she did not remove herself from my property at once!
I screamed at her, ‘How dare you come to my house and scare my children! Get out of here and never come back!’ And to this, my mother quietly answered, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address,’ and she disappeared humbly out of sight.
One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house so I lied to my wife and told her that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, without truly knowing why, I was drawn back to the old shack that I grew up in mostly just out of curiosity. When I got there, my neighbors informed me that my mother had passed away, found dead lying alone on the concrete floor of the kitchen. I did not shed a single tear. Then one of them handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.
Mom’s Letter:
“My dearest son,
I think of you all the time. I’m sorry that I came to your house and scared your children. I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you. I’m sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up. You see…when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up with one eye so I gave you mine. I was so proud of you my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye. I love you and always will,
Your mother.”
And if that spoiled selfish boy would have just asked one WHY question, rather than feel so sorry for himself, he might have admired the great gift of sacrifice that his mama gave to him rather than despise her so. Are you not asking the WHY question today? Are you making assumptions rather than gathering accurate information? The Why could very well to a better understanding of the WHO in your world! Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to learn rather than burn.
Write Pastor Rudy pastorrudytlc@comcast.net
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Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
