This past Sunday was Mothers Day. We know this is day of joy for some and an emotional time for others. We used these words or a variation thereof this Sunday to celebrate all the women of our congregation. We are extremely thankful to Rich Villodas and the New Life Fellowship in New York for feeling sharing these words that we have adapted slightly:
Mother’s Day is a wonderful way to celebrate so many women in our world and in our church in particular. It is a time for joy and celebration – a day to acknowledge the debt of gratitude we have for our mothers.
At the same time, Mother’s Day carries with it many different emotions and experiences. For some it’s a difficult day. Here’s why:
1. Maybe you’ve lost your mom
2. Maybe you are a mom that has lost a child
3. Maybe you’re a woman who’s been trying to have a baby, but you have not been successful.
4. Maybe you are single, and you are waiting to meet the right person and it’s been difficult, and this reinforces your pain.
5. Maybe you have been called by God into singleness and you have embraced this calling and yet, a day like Mother’s Day leaves you feeling lonely and unappreciated.
We know it is complicated and we know these emotions are hard to reconcile with the joy and gratitude we often are expected to display on Mother’s Day.
So, whoever you are, we want to affirm 2 things:
A) Whether you have children or not, you are called to be a spiritual mother – you are called to birth and nurture children in the kingdom of God.
B) Your identity is not determined by whether you are biological mother or not. Your identity is based on the truth that you are loved unconditionally by God. That’s where your identity is found.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the women of our congregation. May God’s richest blessings go with you, and may you continue to live into the commission of making disciples and birthing children into the Kingdom of God!