This day in the calendar can be very similar to Christmas in that it can be both a happy and sad time for many reasons for different people.
As I reflect on my own life, I am incredibly thankful for an amazing Mother who was such an inspiration. Mom was loving, caring, self-sacrificing, funny, beautiful, giving, thoughtful, classy, had an incredible zest for life and for her family and friends and she loved Jesus as her Lord, God as her Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit as her comforter. I was privileged to be raised by this woman and call her Mom.
Last night we celebrated Mother's Day service at our church a bit early to allow families to relax this morning with their Mom's and it was, indeed, an uplifting service of honouring the wonderful women in our lives. Pastor John quoted a popular saying, last night "God could not be everywhere, so He created Mothers", and whilst he reminded us that this statement is theologically not true because God is everywhere (omnipresent), Mom's have God's characteristics built-in so to speak. We are loved, our Mom's nurture us and desire for us to build relationships - it is what we are wired for.
For me personally, I am not a biological Mother (like many I know for various reasons) and this journey has been a road of healing; special thanks to my church family at Springfield Christian Family and some amazing women. Being childless can sometimes still bring pain and the grief is like losing someone; it will be with me 'til my dying day but over time it hurts less and God has shown me that I am a spiritual Mother to many - what a privilege!
In addition to my grief of being childless on Mother's Day, this past year has been a year of healing from the grief of losing my precious Mom but I am so thankful for the many, many women that God has put in my life to be a friend and also an adopted Mother to me. My Mom will never be gone from my heart or memories but I am thankful that He has provided other women "with skin on" to be Motherly to me, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
In addition to being a spiritual Mother, I am Step-Mom to my amazing Step-Daughter Chasely who I am very proud of and to my beautiful God-children, Christopher, Aimee, Aidan and Abigail and to Chasely, I love you all with my whole heart. If I can give you one piece of advice which follows on from the amazing preaching last night by Kristian and Renee, dream big. We serve an awesome God who wants to give us the desires of our heart. Do not give up on the dreams that God gives you. And this advice is as much for me as it is for you.
Peter and I had the opportunity of driving north to Gladstone last weekend to have an early Mother's Day weekend with his Mum Bethie who just had her 86th birthday. Well, I love taking pictures and took a few of Peter and Bethie and me over the weekend and my Mother-in-law asked me, "what do you do with all these pictures?" I replied with simply, "I keep them and look at them from time to time." I got a few goodies this past weekend and check out this blackboard that was in the Blend coffee shop in Tannum Sands that allowed their customers to write their special Mother's Day messages. I added a message for Bethie who is known as "G-G" to her Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren.
Photos are one of the ways to help me keep memories alive. There are others, too; like mementos and keepsakes and my very special friends who gave me a lovely gift to remember Dad when he passed (Jack, the Rose), gave me another beautiful rose to remember Mom. How appropriate that the rose is called "Jumpin' Jack".
To all Women today around the world, I honour you and wish you all a very special Happy Mother's Day!
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