Hello, and welcome to another blessing Sunday. Traveling with me on this path are
Abbie Johnson Taylor

and

Lynda Lambert who shared the idea with me,

Mother’s Day is, for many, 1 of those days that evokes positive images at every turn. If something’s good, it might be described as being American as motherhood and apple pie, although the last time I checked motherhood was present in every country of the world. Church attendance ticks up. Restaurants burst at the seams as they try to accommodate the many Mother’s Day parties.

And yet it’s a day that’s often frought. Fertility issues, difficult mother-child relationships, and mothers who’ve lost children can make the day particularly hard as joy seems to swirl all about those impacted by these problems. They may feel very lonely and alone because they don’t want to dampen the celebratory mood surrounding them by acknowledging their grief.

Unlike days of yore, when a woman’s worth basically consisted of how many children she had, today’s understanding of motherhood has broadened. Whether or not one has children, one can birth something–ideas, books, inventions, or they can help someone else achieve their dreams. Even Jesus portrays Himself as a mother:

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34)

If your relationship with your mother was a good one, think about some particularly good times and be grateful. If not, remember God is not only your Father but also your Mother. Think about those times when He showed himself to be such. And then go out into the world and be a mother to someone around you, no matter your gender. To those mothers who’ve lost a child, take time to cherish good memories. To those moms who gave children up for adoption, know that you likely did the very best you could for them at that time of your life.

Also, thank God for your mother, no matter the relationship between you, because she gave you life. And if someone else served as your mother, even though you were not her flesh and blood, be grateful for that, too, because she may well have saved your life, or at least helped you to become a good person.

Yes, Mother’s Day can be hard, but motherhood is co-creating with God, and that is, after all, what we were put here to do.

Lord, please help us to co-create with You every day we live. Help us rejoice in the tasks You’ve given us to do. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.