Deep pools of blue stared intently at me, listening to each and every word that came out of my mouth. If the saying is true that “the eyes are windows to the soul”, then I was getting a glimpse into my mama’s soul. What I saw staring back at me was complete and total trust and love. Deep, deep, pools of love and trust.

“Mama, you’ve had a stroke. It was pretty bad. You can’t move your right side, and you can’t speak properly.”

Mama slowly nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. Eyes still full of trust, it was as if the words coming out of my mouth were a lifeline for her. Only, I didn’t have much to offer.

“We may need to put you into a nursing home for rehab. But only until you get better! It will be a nursing home that has specialized physical therapy for stroke patients.”

She nodded again. The complete trust was replaced with a tiny frown on her forehead. I knew what she was thinking. She had always told us “Please don’t put me in a nursing home, if you can help it.”

“Mama, we are not going to put you there and forget you. You are going there to get better! We will be there every day. We won’t leave you. I promise it won’t be like the time you and Daddy got locked in the psych ward! I promise!”

The look of trust returned, and a lop-sided grin replaced the frown on her face.

My brothers, sister and I made a promise to Mama that we would never leave her or abandon her. She trusted us with everything in her mama’s heart. She knew how much we loved her, and that we would keep our promise to her. She could trust us.

We were true to our word. That night almost six years ago, when Mama slipped away from us and into the arms of Jesus, we were right there with her. Even when the coroner took her away on the gurney, we stayed beside her. Because we had promised.

People may come and go in our lives. Some will even abandon us. But God is with us forever. It’s His promise.

“…for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5b (HCSB)

I love how the Amplified translation states it:
“I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” Hebrews 13:5b

Assuredly, He will not, will not, WILL NOT, relax His hold on us or leave us without support. He won’t let us down or leave us helpless. He won’t. We can trust Him, because He loves us. And that love will never fail us.

This promise is everlasting. There is no time limit. You can’t do anything that will make Him go back on His word. It stands forever.

Forever. I can live with that, how about you?

Father in Heaven, thank You for the promises You have given – that You will never, never, never abandon us! Thank You for loving us that much! In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Grace be with you,