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Picking a favorite Bible story was not an easy task. My favorite Bible story is usually the one that I need the most in that moment-the one that provides me comfort, strength or brings a smile to my face in that specific moment of my life. That being said, if I have to pick a story that I have always loved, it is the story of Moses’ birth. The story where his mother (Yocheved) puts him in a basket on the Nile to save his life. As a young girl, I thought of the story as somewhat of a fairy tale. I imagined a sweet little baby floating down the river to be saved by a princess and live happily ever after. What’s not to love!? 

I have always been a “glass half full” type of person; one of those who thrives on positivity. I prefer to see the bright side – the GOOD. So, it was no surprise that the fairytale ending is what I saw in the story of Moses’ birth. However, that perception and viewpoint changed with the loss of my brother in 2020. During a time of extreme grief, I turned to my favorites in the Bible, my “comfort food stories,” and I realized that my viewpoint had changed drastically. 

Now, I saw the fear of Moses’ mother during a desperate attempt to save her child. I saw the strength of his sister waiting on the sidelines to protect and orchestrate the plan to protect her brother as well as her mother. I felt the gratitude Yocheved must have felt when given the opportunity to nurse her baby…and the pain of giving him back when it was time. Above all, I saw the resilience and unwavering faith of the mother and sister. 

In that moment, I knew I had a choice to make. I could choose to spend my life bitterly wondering “why?” and questioning God’s plan, OR I could choose to have faith like Moses’ mother and sister. I read once that God’s plan is like a mosaic. The pieces only make sense when you can see the full picture. While the story did not take away my grief, it helped me remember that “there is a time to a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:4)” and it helped me to accept that I may never be the same as I was prior to losing my brother…but I could be better.

Prayer

I pray that each of us never lose sight of God’s plan. I pray that if we find ourselves frustrated with the pain and sorrow of the world and, therefore, questioning- that the holy spirit provides comfort through the certainty of God’s love for us. Above all, I pray that even when things feel bleak- that we never lose the ability to marvel at the simple beauty around us and feel joy.