A Mother’s Day Invitation
Mother’s Day is nearly upon us and although it is a day meant to honour our mothers, it can also often be a day of grief and pain to many. For this reason, may this day be an invitation to think and pray for the special women in our lives.
Let’s take this week as an opportunity to reach out and encourage our families, friends, and people in our community in a special way. If you are one of these women, we encourage you to find peace and refuge today on Psalm 33:18-22.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
—Psalm 33:18-22
We think of those who haven’t embraced their moms since this pandemic started and those who have lost their mothers due to an unexpected illness, an accident, or even those who endured through an illness for a while. We think of those who may have lost their moms during this pandemic and never even got to say goodbye to them in person or hold their mom’s hand as she took her last breath.
We think of those who may be grieving the loss of a child. We think of the moms who may have lost their baby even before the birth of a child or who may have lost them shortly thereafter. We think of those who have lost a child, no matter how old their child is, because it is a different kind of pain to have your child pass on before you do.
We think of those who may be longing for a child and have been going through cycles of praying, waiting, and disappointments. We think of your pain as you await a positive pregnancy test, successful adoption papers, or even the news that your child will soon be by your side.
We think of the new moms who gave birth to a child in this pandemic, as you may have navigated through the first year of your baby’s life without friends and family by your side physically. We think of the moms deep in the trenches of motherhood, as you navigate through the new realms of working from home, remote learning, while still undertaking the regular duties of being a mother and a wife.
We think of the moms with grown children who may have already left home to live their own lives as an adult. We think of the longing and the loneliness of not being able to see your children as much as you’d love to. We think of the grandmothers who may be longing for the chance to support their children and spoil their grandchildren as often as they would want to.
We think of the single moms who are playing the role of both mother and father in the midst of this pandemic. We think of the magnified pressures this pandemic may have brought upon you. We think of our aunts, mentors, and other mother-figures in our lives who have played the role of a mother in one way or another, do know that your love and sacrifices are felt, seen, and appreciated.
We think of our frontliner moms who have no choice but to leave home and risk exposure daily to play their part in this battle against COVID-19. We recognize your strength and courage as you push yourself to your limits to meet the demands that you face daily.
Throughout history and even to the unique challenges that we face at this day and age, women play a special God-given role and often may feel unseen, unheard, or unrecognized. But as you read Psalm 33:18-22 today, I pray that you be reminded of God’s love for you.
In the passage above, we read this comforting truth: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love.” (Psalm 33:18) Dear sister, you are loved by our Heavenly Father and his love for you is steadfast. His eye is upon you and he sees every heartache, every desire, every tear that may fall from your eyes. Our God sees you. Our God loves you. Our God knows you by name.
As we endure the challenges of this pandemic, I encourage those who are reading this, to keep their trust and hope in the Lord. And to those who have yet to know the joy of knowing Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, I pray that this would be an invitation for you to respond to His love for you. Fear of the Lord and truly knowing who He is, will indeed be a source of hope and joy when we know that God is Lord over everything and He has everything under control.
Lastly, may this be an encouragement for everyone to reach out this week in a special way to the mothers in their lives. Maybe we can take a few minutes of our time to give a friend a call or say hello at a distance. Maybe we can find ways to serve others by dropping off groceries or a homemade treat. Maybe we can be more intentional and pray specifically this week for our moms and the moms around us.
May we see others the way God sees them and love them the way He does. May we all find joy and hope in Him who is our help and our shield, and share the truth of the gospel to those around us.
“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”