It's hard for me to even begin to fathom the heartbreak she experienced when a 29-year-old woman from Somalia fled her drought-ravaged country with her two children. Weakened by the journey, she found she could no longer carry both her 1-year-old daughter and her 4-year-old son. And she had to make a choice: either all three of them would perish, or she would have to leave one of her children behind.
Can you imagine a more agonizing decision? Whichever child she left behind would be left to survive... or perish... What would you do?
Wardo Mohamud Yusuf faced this decision and, painfully, made her choice. "Finally, I decided to leave [my son] behind to his God on the road... I have never faced such a difficult dilemma in my life."Perhaps she reasoned that, at his age, he would be more likely to be able to continue on his journey and find help. No doubt she hoped for a kind stranger to have mercy on her child and take him under their wing. I'm sure her heart was torn.
Sometimes we may forget that God loves his children far more perfectly than we ever can. If we reject his salvation, which we are free to do, he suffers from having to "leave us behind" as well.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- John 3:16
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
- 1 John 3:1
I've imagined scenarios like that. They make me ill with dread. I have to try hard not to; it's a torture I don't need.
ReplyDeleteHow horrible. I don't know what I would do in a situation like this.
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine. I agree with both Kathleen and Carol. Just too awful for words.
ReplyDeleteWhat a heart rending decision for a mother to have to make. In Haiti after the earthquake, many parents were abandoning their children because they could not feed them, hoping that someone would care for them. Often we don't see how really fortunate we are in the USA.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't do it...I would never make that decision. It might be "easy for me to say" but I could never - ever - choose between my children. I would much rather stay with them both - and have us all pass together - than to leave one alone. I would never want to be left alone, so I can't expect to do that to either of my kids.
ReplyDeleteWM
I cannot even begin to imagine the pain this mother would go through, not only in making the decision initially, but for the rest of her life! My heart would just break.
ReplyDeleteI am stopping by and following you from Monday Mingle. I would love it if you stopped by my blog What I Live For sometime!
wow. that story is heart breaking.
ReplyDeletelove this blog and i am a new follower from monday mingle
Oh how horrible to have to make a decission like that. I dont know if I can imagine making such a decission of leaving one behind. The pain would be beyond my comperhension. I makes one think .......
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Oh my, that would be the hardest decision ever! I am feeling ill just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteWoW! I have nothing more to say...
I am inspired that you wrote so well. I hope that we reflect upon this. Thanks
ReplyDeleteVisiting for the first time from Hear It/Use It and I'm just sick over this. How did you hear about this story? Does anyone know what happened to the boy? I'm praying for him now.
ReplyDeleteHi Courtney. I'd read about this online and, unfortunately, I neglected to write down the url I got it from. Perhaps googling the mother's name would lead to further information. But the story I read offered no information about what happened to this poor child. I can't even begin to fathom what this must have been like for all concerned.
ReplyDeleteNCSue
So many women around the world face decisions that i could never imagine.
ReplyDeleteFondly,
Glenda
I echo the thoughts of the other visitors here. Heartwrenching. And to know, He CHOSE to give His son for us. So, so humbling, especially when faced with stories like this one.
ReplyDelete