The thought of “Mother’s Day” carries so many different emotions, doesn’t it? For me, there is the deep and humble gratitude for 1) having a Godly mother who loves and sacrifices (even now) for her family and children; 2) the fact that she is still very much alive, is my friend, and has an active part our lives; and 3) the undeserved blessing of being able to be a mother to two teenagers of my own.
I do not take these gifts lightly, because right on the heels of those grateful thoughts about my own mother and life, my mind flashes to dear friends of mine who can not claim one or more of the blessings named above. With a tender heart, I am praying for each of them this Mother’s Day. I’m also praying for those of you who can relate to the ones on my heart.
I think of my friends whose Godly, beautiful mothers now live with Jesus. They miss their moms so much! I think of my own mom missing her mom. If this is you on this Mother’s Day, I pray that God pours His peace and joy over your heart as you celebrate the gift He gave you in your mom, and that sweet memories of her will overtake the sorrow of her absence with you this year. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)
My heart is breaking for mothers I know who are missing and grieving their children, especially those moms with children in both Heaven and on Earth – experiencing that everyday tug-o-war between sorrow and joy. For you dear sisters, I pray that God will keep you in His perfect peace as you settle your minds on Him through your trust in Him, even when you don’t understand (from Isaiah 26:3). May God give you His joy this Mother’s Day, His unexplainable and peace-filled joy!
I think of mothers grieving their very-much-alive children who are living a life no mother ever dreams for her baby. For those knowing their children are not walking with the Lord, and for those who have no idea where their children presently are or what they are doing, I know you are praying relentlessly! I join you and pray that Psalm 126:5 will be a reality in your lives: “They who sow in tears shall reap in joy and singing.” A men!
I’m thinking of loved ones who are desperate to be mothers, yet for some (only God-known reason) God has not answered their pleas with a “yes”. This is usually a tremendously hard day for these ladies. I also think of the beautiful women who long to be wives, so that they can, one day, be mothers. For all of you lovely ones, I pray that God will strengthen your heart as you hope in and wait upon Him. (from Psalm 31:24).
I also think of precious children (young and adult) I know who do/did not have mothers who sacrificially loved them and tirelessly, yet joyfully, invested in their lives. Some dear ones grow up with the full awareness that they were not planned nor wanted. Some are abused, ignored, and used by their own mothers. Some have had to act as mothers to their own moms. God has had and will have to do a lot of healing in the hearts of these precious ones, and finding a Mother’s Day card is never an easy or enjoyable task for them. To these loved-so-much-by-God souls, Rick Warren, in Purpose Driven Life, reminds us of this:
“You are not an accident. Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did…
Regardless of the circumstances of your birth or who your parents are, God had a plan in creating you. It doesn’t matter whether your parents were good, bad, or indifferent. God knew that those two individuals possessed exactly the right genetic makeup to create the custom “you” he had in mind. They had the DNA God wanted to make you…God’s purpose took into account human error, and even sin. God never does anything accidentally, and he never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything He creates.” Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Life
If you haven’t felt loved by your mom, I’m so so sorry! But I’m also so thankful that she chose life, and that the DNA God placed within her was exactly what He needed in order to create YOU!
For those of you who are joyfully and gratefully celebrating this Mother’s Day, I joyfully celebrate with you! And for those of you who will struggle a bit this Mother’s Day, I’m praying often for you.
On this day, and on every other day, as we reflect on what we have and/or what we’re missing, may each one of us cling to the comfort and presence of the Lord – who loves us more than any human being could ever dream.
Happy Mother’s Day to each of you, with love and prayers~
The LORD helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
you give them their food as they need it.
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
he is filled with kindness.
yes, to all who call on him in truth.
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
but he destroys the wicked.I will praise the LORD,
Debbie Petras says
You are so very thoughtful Jennifer. Happy Mother’s Day to you! Yes, you are fortunate to still have your mom here. I miss mine, especially on days like this. But I celebrate mothers as so many don’t get the thanks they deserve. I was so glad our pastor was sensitive to these things today in his sermon. I think it was the first Mother’s Day I left feeling encouraged and loved.
You are a blessing to me.
Love you,
Debbie
SmellingCoffee says
Hi sweet friend! I was thinking about you when I wrote that post… and am so glad that you were encouraged on Sunday! You are a blessing to me, too, and to the many you encourage through your blog. Love to you and a happy Friday! 🙂
Jennifer
Grammy Blick says
Thank you for your prayers. With my own mother home with our Lord, it is a blessing to visit with others and read of their love.
Gwynie Pie says
Jennifer, loved this post. Beautiful. I pray your Mother's Day is blessed beyond measure.
Oh and I LOVED The Red Sea Rules post the other day. It hit me where I live 🙂
Gwynie Pie
@ The Pink Tractor
http://www.gwynrosser.blogspot.com
Kristen says
Oh how I love your lovely heart! Mother's Day used to be such a difficult day for me. All those years longing for a child. How my heart ached… God's Yes was very different for me. It took me many years to realize what His answer was… it was not a child born of my body, it was not a child cleaved to me through adoption… it was the many nieces, nephews, Godchildren, friends children, children my husband coached that God richly blessed Jim and me with. It took many years before I heard His voice… it took many years for the chains of infertility kept me in bondage to fall off… but they did. God healed and filled a broken heart. Thank you for recognizing and praying for those women out there who are broken, hurting as they navigate the difficult journey of infertility!
Happy Mother's Day dear one!!!!
Stephanie says
Thank you, dear, sweet friend for this beautiful post. I read it with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes because I kept thinking…someone besides the Lord understands! I am so grateful to know that you are praying for me! I love you and wish you a tremendously joyous Mother's Day!
Kathleen @ Kath Ink says
Jennifer, You have thoughtfully touched on the aspects of all of us being women and how intrinsically that is tied to being a mom & having a mom for us — the beauty and/or the pain that may be associated with that. Thank you for making me sensitive to those around me and the many things they may be feeling on Mother's Day.
Jane says
Jennifer, thank you for your beautiful Mother's Day post! It was exactly what I needed to hear. My mother passed away this past January. God has shown me that she likely suffered with NPD her whole life, and because of this, she wasn't there for me emotionally growing up. Once I became an adult, I assumed the role of the parent in our relationship.
God has blessed me with two wonderful children. I truly believe He has used my relationship with my mother to make me more sensitive to my children's needs and how to maintain a delicate balance between love and discipline with them.
Thank you again for your wonderful thoughts.
Happy Mother's Day!
Jane