Never Alone
“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.”John 14:18-19
“I will not leave you orphans.” The very first time that I can recall hearing this verse from John’s Gospel was a few days after our father passed away. At the time I was in college and my spiritual life consisted only of going to Sunday Mass, so I really do not know how I stumbled across those words from Scripture. It must have been the Holy Spirit. I was filled with emotions — grief, sadness, confusion, and somehow this verse made its way into my heart “I will not leave you orphans.”
Sometimes in our lives we experience the loss of a loved one. Other times we may also experience the loss of a friendship or the loss of trust or some other betrayal that leaves us confused and questioning why. Maybe after several years of investing in a company or group, they suddenly no longer feel you are a fit for them. Sometimes those whom you trust most will be the ones who let you down or betray you. Jesus knew this firsthand. Perhaps that is why He assured His disciples, “I will not leave you orphans.” Jesus was rejected by His own people and was later betrayed by His very own friend. He knew what it feels like to be left behind. Yet, He knew that even in those most desperate moments He was not alone, for the Father was with Him. In the same, the Lord tells us that we too are never alone, even when we may feel that way.
Even when those whom we trust most betray us, even when those whom we love choose to walk away from us, even when we seem to have been left in the dust, and even when we feel all alone, Jesus says to us, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” Perhaps a parent’s love or a mother’s love is similar. They may not always be physically there, but deep down, when you sit in the silence and listen to the beating of your heart, you know that your parents are with you. “I will not leave you orphans.” May we always remember that even as we walk through the loneliest times of our lives, we are not alone. Jesus says, “I will come to you.”
Happy Mother’s Day.
