The Thorns of Mother's Day

There were many years I hated Mother's Day.  A strong statement for such a sweet little Hallmark day, but it's true.  For the five years that Pete and I were waiting for our miracle, I dreaded the day. The church we attended had the tradition of having all the mothers stand during the service and they would be brought a long stem rose.  I am sure in some pastoral meeting that seemed like a really sweet thing to do, in reality it was really a bad tradition.  While all the women over 25 seemed to be standing, I sat.  It was like an official announcement of my failure to produce a child.  An apparently simple task that seemingly every other woman in the church seemed to be able to complete (often for some).

When I started working in church ministry I suggested (loudly) that we not do such mindless traditions.  Moms know they are moms, they have been celebrated at home, let's not make a production out of pointing out all the women who are childless.  Let's instead be the church that bears the yoke of our Savior and cares about what He cared about...
         the brokenhearted,
                       the weary,
                               the lonely,
                                      the orphan.
As the Director of Preschool Ministries my heart is broken for a new reason this Mother's Day.  Our children whose mommas who are waiting for them in Heaven.  I'll be honest, this brokenness has rocked me this week.  You see in our church (and yours too) are sweet little faces with no momma here to celebrate. I can't imagine being four and trying to understand this holiday.  I can't imagine being the dad who drops off your child at Sunday School to find out they are making Mother's Day crafts.  This pain has to be a thousand fold what I felt sitting empty handed in my church 10 years ago, and this is a pain the church is mindlessly inflicting.

Now I am not saying we shouldn't honor and celebrate our moms this Mother's Day.  By all means bring on the flowers and gifts Pete.  What I am saying is as a church this weekend let us be a balm for the brokenhearted.  Let us give rest to the weary.  Let us include the lonely in our celebrations and let us love lavishly the orphans.  It will be through the intentionality of our love, not the mindlessness of our traditions that the hope of Christ can be seen by those who most need Him this Sunday.