Who Has a Hallmark Mother’s Day?
Celebrating mothers is an important thing. If you are a mother, you might agree with me that it is the hardest job on the planet. It is often a thankless job. No high fives are going up every time you change a loaded diaper. The elementary years can be sweet, but “Eat your vegetables,” “Don’t touch your sister,” and “Did you say thank you?” are not appreciated at the moment. And then there are the years that you turn into a three-headed monster or an idiot in the mind of your teenager. Around the time that high school graduation approaches, you may see gratitude emerge. This season feels way too short given the 17 years of investment, because they are quickly off, and it is a new season as a mom learning how to move from cop to coach, and eventually to consultant. It is a season where you begin to bite your tongue…off.
Even in the moments when children, young or old, express gratitude this Mother’s Day, the enemy still persists and is quick to remind every mother all of the places she failed.
“You yelled too much.”
“None of your friends have kids that are dangers to themselves and others.”
“Keep it to yourself that your child has been to Lakeside.”
“You must be a bad parent, if your kid got kicked out of school.” (If that is the case, I must be REALLY bad.)
The pain of divorce or the enemy’s claws of death, abuse, or addiction takes what is already challenging and brings many moms to a new awareness of how much God is truly needed to navigate raising children.
And then there are the women who desire a child and have yet to conceive. Unplanned pregnancies are complaints they hear from their friends while they beg God for just one.
Hallmark cards and even Hallmark movies are beautiful, but rarely represent the reality of life on planet Earth. So what are we to do?
As you and I approach Mother’s Day, I wanted to share a few thoughts to prepare us for a day filled with spoken or unspoken expectations and emotions.
It is okay to celebrate what is good, even if God isn’t done bringing His healing to a situation. Thank Him that you have made it this far and that He is not done yet.
If Mother’s Day is hard, you are by no means alone. That is the whisper of the enemy. I encourage you to renounce that lie and thank God for giving you the grace to not just survive Mother’s Day, but to ask Him to show you peace and the way to love others who are also having a hard day.
If you are grieving the loss of a mom, whether full of gratitude because she was your anchor or with a mixture of emotions, remember that God can take all of the emotions you have. Ask Him for a gift this Mother’s Day that allows you to leave some of the pain at His feet. Jesus understands being separated from His own mother. This pain is not unfamiliar to Him. He also understands being disappointed by those closest to Him.
You can be the son or daughter you desire regardless of how much you think your mom does or does not deserve it. God blesses honoring parents. Moms and dads are humans, and if you are old enough to get that, then you are old enough to know that you can represent Jesus to them, whether they are capable of reflecting that back to you or not.
I am so grateful for the grace my children have given me. They choose to see me through the lens of my heart, not each action or word they experienced. We had many tough years in our home, but I am here to encourage you that God is not finished.