Today is Mother's Day.
It is a day of honoring those who have given us life.
Sometimes those who have given birth to us
are also those who have nurtured us,
encouraging our growth and ongoing development,
both physical and spiritual.
They have been women who have viewed parenthood as a calling,
a ministry that they embraced.
They took their responsibility seriously,
and giving physical birth was only the start
of a lifelong nurturing relationship.
For them we are grateful.
Sometimes those who have given us physical birth
have given us all that it was within their power to give us.
While we may have been unplanned in their lives,
we were in God's heart from the beginning of time
and He was present at the time of our conception,
knowing how He would continue
to provide nurturing and support throughout our lives.
Those were things we could not see.
We may have felt alone, abandoned, unwanted and unloved.
Yet God saw those He had called and ordained to minister to us,
“mothering us” with His love in our life journeys,
whether we were accepting or rejecting of it at the time.
Regardless of our experiences with our mother
(or mothers ~ be they birth, foster, or adoptive).
God has assured us that His watchful eye sees all.
“Though (even if) my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
Teach me your way, O Lord;
lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors,
(whether they be people, circumstances, or feelings.)”
(parentheses my added thoughts)
Psalm 27:10
What He has provided or is in the process of providing
we are to thank Him for.
“give thanks in all circumstances...”
I Thessalonians 5:18
We can trust that what He says is so,
even when we feel as we do
and our eyesight has not yet seen His answer.
“Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness?
Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar.”
Romans 3:3
* * * * *
Sometimes Mother's Day is a day of joy,
a day of recalling the fulfillment of a desire to give birth to a child
and the enjoyment of watching that child grow through the years.
Sometimes it is a day of sadness amidst the celebration of motherhood,
as feelings of longing and unfulfilled desire boil to the surface.
Perhaps our parenting of a child has been delayed,
seems totally beyond our power to bring about,
has been cut short,
or has not produced the fruit we prayed for and so much longed to see.
While there may be clothing designated as “one size fits all”,
“Mother's Day” is not a garment that all women wear comfortably.
Emotions color Mother's Day so differently for each of us.
So, whether you presently identify with Eve, Sarah or Elisabeth,
Rebekah, Leah or Rachel,
Mordecai's wife,
the woman seeking Solomon's judgment
on who was the rightful mother of the infant,
Mary,
Lois or Eunice,
know that you are not alone.
We are one of many throughout history.
Experiences in mothering are as varied as there are mothers.
We have all been daughters of a mother.
We have all learned from our mother ~
about parenting, life, and relationships.
Some things we treasure and seek to build upon.
Some things we acknowledge as painfu
in relationship with our mothers
but know we need to forgive,
recognizing that mothers are human and make mistakes,
or they may have been motivated by their own pain
to make unwise choices.
Yes, we have had – or will have – the need to ask forgiveness
from those we parent as well.
This is Mother's Day.
Whether you have mothered or are mothering a child biologically yours,
your child by adoption,
a child of your child's, a grandchild,
the child of an extended family member,
or a foster child,
this day is a day of acknowledging
that you are contributing to the life of the next generation
through a 24/7 ministry of love.
And it is a day that we all acknowledge our mother's role in our making!
Twila Charles Leichty
May 10, 2009
It is a day of honoring those who have given us life.
Sometimes those who have given birth to us
are also those who have nurtured us,
encouraging our growth and ongoing development,
both physical and spiritual.
They have been women who have viewed parenthood as a calling,
a ministry that they embraced.
They took their responsibility seriously,
and giving physical birth was only the start
of a lifelong nurturing relationship.
For them we are grateful.
Sometimes those who have given us physical birth
have given us all that it was within their power to give us.
While we may have been unplanned in their lives,
we were in God's heart from the beginning of time
and He was present at the time of our conception,
knowing how He would continue
to provide nurturing and support throughout our lives.
Those were things we could not see.
We may have felt alone, abandoned, unwanted and unloved.
Yet God saw those He had called and ordained to minister to us,
“mothering us” with His love in our life journeys,
whether we were accepting or rejecting of it at the time.
Regardless of our experiences with our mother
(or mothers ~ be they birth, foster, or adoptive).
God has assured us that His watchful eye sees all.
“Though (even if) my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
Teach me your way, O Lord;
lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors,
(whether they be people, circumstances, or feelings.)”
(parentheses my added thoughts)
Psalm 27:10
What He has provided or is in the process of providing
we are to thank Him for.
“give thanks in all circumstances...”
I Thessalonians 5:18
We can trust that what He says is so,
even when we feel as we do
and our eyesight has not yet seen His answer.
“Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness?
Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar.”
Romans 3:3
* * * * *
Sometimes Mother's Day is a day of joy,
a day of recalling the fulfillment of a desire to give birth to a child
and the enjoyment of watching that child grow through the years.
Sometimes it is a day of sadness amidst the celebration of motherhood,
as feelings of longing and unfulfilled desire boil to the surface.
Perhaps our parenting of a child has been delayed,
seems totally beyond our power to bring about,
has been cut short,
or has not produced the fruit we prayed for and so much longed to see.
While there may be clothing designated as “one size fits all”,
“Mother's Day” is not a garment that all women wear comfortably.
Emotions color Mother's Day so differently for each of us.
So, whether you presently identify with Eve, Sarah or Elisabeth,
Rebekah, Leah or Rachel,
Mordecai's wife,
the woman seeking Solomon's judgment
on who was the rightful mother of the infant,
Mary,
Lois or Eunice,
know that you are not alone.
We are one of many throughout history.
Experiences in mothering are as varied as there are mothers.
We have all been daughters of a mother.
We have all learned from our mother ~
about parenting, life, and relationships.
Some things we treasure and seek to build upon.
Some things we acknowledge as painfu
in relationship with our mothers
but know we need to forgive,
recognizing that mothers are human and make mistakes,
or they may have been motivated by their own pain
to make unwise choices.
Yes, we have had – or will have – the need to ask forgiveness
from those we parent as well.
This is Mother's Day.
Whether you have mothered or are mothering a child biologically yours,
your child by adoption,
a child of your child's, a grandchild,
the child of an extended family member,
or a foster child,
this day is a day of acknowledging
that you are contributing to the life of the next generation
through a 24/7 ministry of love.
And it is a day that we all acknowledge our mother's role in our making!
Twila Charles Leichty
May 10, 2009
