I can remember when, as a young boy, I’d say: “We have Mother’s Day in May and Father’s Day in June, so when is Children’s Day?”
Well, you can probably guess the answer my parents would give to my question, “Every day is Children’s Day. Every day.”
To be honest, that answer didn’t satisfy me very much but, based on the way that my parents said it, I knew that there wasn’t going to be much value in trying to argue my point.
In a few days, it will again be Mother’s Day.
Now, let me be clear, I’m not against Mothers. I love my mother. I love the mother of our children. And I love watching our daughters fulfill their roles as mothers to our five grandchildren.
But a quick look at the world around us quickly shows that motherhood is not all like the idealized sentiments presented in the cards we will give and the words we will exchange on Mother’s Day. Nor should we expect it to be.
Scripture never shrinks from presenting motherhood for what it is – both blessing and challenge.
For example, Ruth was left childless and widowed at a young age. Rachel, Hannah, and Sarah were infertile. Eve and Mary lost sons under terrible circumstances. Two mothers of two kings, both named Ahaziah, encouraged their sons to be wicked and unjust.
Scripture tells stories like those in our churches: women in diverse life circumstances, sometimes thriving, sometimes coping, and sometimes going under.
The fairy tale of marriage and motherhood is just that—a fairy tale.
Our culture is one of motherhood deferred due to later childbearing, motherhood disrupted by divorce, motherhood lost by infant/child death and miscarriage, and motherhood unachieved due to infertility and undesired singleness.
Of course, our culture also includes wonderful families with strong marriages and happy children. The point is that there is not a one-size-fits-all journey of womanhood, and we hurt women in our churches by elevating one path over all others.
So let's be gentle with each other this Mother's Day.
Let's celebrate with the women who have happy families.
Let's pray for the women, men, girls, and boys who have been hurt by their mothers.
Let's grieve with the mothers who have lost their children.
Let's encourage the women who long to be wives and mothers, but aren't.
On Mother’s day, let's come together and worship Jesus alone, not idealized images of our mothers or ourselves.
Cheerfully,
Pastor Bob
