Mother's Day: The Joy and Pain of This Day

Let me say first and foremost that I think Mother’s Day is an amazing day.  I love my mom, and I love the other women in my life who have helped shape and form me in some way.  Mother’s rock and we should celebrate them.  J

I wanted to say that first because I don’t want to rain on Mother’s Day that is not my intent.  Yet, I also know that Mother’s day can be a painful day for some.  I call it a trigger day for myself.  It is a day where I am reminded of my miscarriage and my sweet babies who are with Jesus, (that word I cringe at) the infertility, my health issues, of what I don’t have, but what my heart has ached for.  Maybe you’ve felt that ache before too; whether it is for a child, a spouse, a mom, or ________ (fill in the blank). 

So what do we do with days like these; days where we wonder, when will our time come, will it come?  Well, I think we have to allow our feelings to really come for what they are.   It is okay to admit it’s hard.  At times I wish it wasn’t.  I wish I could get through this day and it wouldn’t affect me, thanks be to God, I don't feel the same magnitude of pain, but it still sneaks up on me. 

After we acknowledged our feelings, it’s imperative we surrender them to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Often times our pain can make us do unhealthy things, like eat lots of candy, take matters into our own hands, or treat the people we love like junk.  So instead of reaching for something or someone to ease your pain, how about we try giving it to Jesus.  It’s really a continual surrender, but He can handle it.  That’s the beauty of Jesus; He longs to lift our burdens from us.   

Its days like these where I am reminded of what it means to have faith in God and His goodness and what it means to really worship Him.  His goodness is not determined by my hopes being met.  No, His goodness is determined by this:  “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” Eph. 2:4-5

God longs to give us good things in life.  He does.  Yet, for the sake of His glory sometimes we have to wait or trust Him for an even better plan, but we wait not without hope but as people great hope.  “I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.” Ps. 130:5  Is He good?  You better believe it.  Is He worthy?  Absolutely.  Will I worship Him?  Forever. 

Acknowledge. Surrender. Worship.

Gracious Lord, we thank you so much for mothers.  We ask for you to bless them for their amazing sacrifice.  Bless the women Lord who long to be mothers but can’t, bless those who are waiting to adopt, and those who don’t have a mom; may the power of the Holy Spirit grant us comfort and wholeness in Christ as we surrender our pain to Your Son Jesus.  He can handle it.  Jesus, make us whole in You, not in our hopes and dreams.  Father, we believe in Your goodness and we thank You for the grace You have given us in Christ.  Let it be to Your glory! Amen.