One of the most difficult things about the pandemic is not being able to see our most beloved loved ones face to face. My mother, who has dementia, is in an assisted living facility. We visit her at least weekly, but only from the other side of a window. She has a clear view of us; we only have a dim view of her. Every time we visit, she forgets why we can’t just come in. She can’t really hear us, and we can barely hear her.

Most of the time we write her notes in large print to tell her we love her, at least. One time we talked with her on the phone of one of the nurses (they say they can’t open the window even a little bit). It’s all quite frustrating, especially for her.  This has been the case since the beginning of March; it will be the case on Mother’s Day tomorrow and for the foreseeable future. I know countless others are going through it with us. It’s hard when we can only see each other through the glass dimly.

One day, in the near future, it’s quite likely that Mother will pass through the veil before I do; and we won’t be able to see her even through a window. On Mother’s Day many will remember their mothers and honor them, but won’t be able share their love face to face at all. Death seems to close the window altogether. But I’m reminded of 1 Corinthians 13:12 which says, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (KJV).

Faith provides us a window in God’s word through which we get a glimpse of the Lord and the new world, that which is perfect, yet to come (1 Cor 10). Through this dark window we get a dim view of the ultimate bright side of life of which those on the other side have a perfect view. Faith grows in the ground of this hope so that we can know that love and our love relationships with the Lord and each other in the Lord never ends, that nothing can “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:39)

This Mother’s Day may be hard because we still only see through a glass dimly. But one day we will see face to face in the light of God’s everlasting glory. Oh, What a day! What a day it will be!

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Cor 13:8-13 ESV