Why Mother's Day is Difficult

This article was first posted on Mother's Day 2016.  

Mother's Day is approaching.  For some, it's anything but a sentimental Hallmark card or pleasant Sunday brunch.  Motherhood is filled with surprises, and many of them are difficult.  

As you prepare to celebrate Mother's Day, consider all the situations in which women find themselves.  Be sensitive to the many circumstances that exist.  Pray for those who are living through a variety of situations.  Here are a few.

Loss.  
 
Many mothers (and fathers) have experienced the grief of losing a child.  Mother's Day brings all the emotion of a child they once held.  There is also the grief of miscarriage or stillbirth.  

And for those who have lost their mothers, the second Sunday in May is a reminder of that void.  Every year you shed tears for the mother that you miss dearly.    

Exhaustion.  

Three hours of sleep because the toddler woke up in the night.  Snot on the shoulder of her sweatshirt.  A little person attempting to climb her leg.  The kitchen is smeared with spaghetti and covered in spilled milk.  A precarious pile of dishes fills the sink.  A mound of laundry hides the washing machine.  She's exhausted, but always beautiful.  

Disappointment.  

Infertility is a lonely road.  People ask, "When are you having kids?"  She whispers to herself, "If only you knew . . ."  A silent grief grows within.  

There are also those who live with the ups and downs of the adoption process.  When adoption or foster parenting breaks down, the emotional toll is devastating.  

Regret.   

"I wished the years away," she said.  "I wish I would have done things differently."  "I wasn't around enough."  "I didn't discipline enough."  "Where did I go wrong in raising him?"

Emptiness.  

As children grow up, they move out (hopefully).  Many mothers are experiencing the empty nest.  When children move to college, careers, and marriage, Mom isn't needed like she once was.  The house is quiet.  Yes, there's a new freedom.  But she misses the noise.  

Emptiness is also a reality for many mothers who are distant from their children.  Whether by tension, disagreement, or geography, there are mothers and children who are far apart.  

Expectancy.  

For those pregnant with child, there is joy and excitement.  There is also anxiety and uncertainty.  What will it be like?  Will my baby be healthy?  What kind of world am I bringing this child into? 

God accomplishes a mighty load of love through the vocations of women who mother in a variety of ways.  We pray for all mothers, and those who function as mothers in various roles.

• Foster and adoptive moms.
• Grandmothers and aunts.
• Congregational matriarchs.
• Stand-in moms.
• Youth group leader moms.
• Teachers who "mother" us.
• Mentor moms.
• A friend's mom who’s like our own.

We thank God for the joy-filled relationships that we have with our mothers.  We also acknowledge that these relationships are complicated.  The challenges faced in parenting serve to magnify our dependence on God’s grace.  It is a profound mercy that God should use us for such weighty responsibly.  On the second Sunday in May, we praise God for the women he uses to extend his love.