This year I acknowledge those in a mothering role both formal and informal and recognize the heart-filled work you do. In a week where we honor mothers I propose we all work to view ourselves as caretakers for the youngest around us. As a direct reflection of God’s image we can reflect that first love that comes from God, to all in our care. We look to Yahweh, who’s personal Hebrew name as revealed to Moses in Exodus 3, begins with “Yah,” the feminine, and the last part, “weh,” as masculine. God first loved us just as a Mother first loves her child. So in turn we can strive to love the children around us as a mother does.
May we all love, care for, and invest in children as mothers do. May the God who birthed us (Deuteronomy 32:18) remind us of the ways to act as Mother. “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 66:13) May we catch and carry those around us who needs a mother’s love knowing that God’s self is like a mother eagle, “Like the eagle that stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young, God spreads wings to catch you, and carries you on pinions.” (Deuteronomy 32:11-12) May we protect all lives as God does “Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and tear them asunder…” (Hosea 13:8) And as God does not forget the children may we too not forget and instead gather them to us like a mother hen does her brood. (Matthew 23:37) “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)
I will leave you with this thought today. You are a part of the braided cord that raises up children.
“Biologically adults produce children. Spiritually children produce adults. Most of us don’t grow up until we have helped children to do so. Thus do the generations form a braided cord.” – Unknown
This Mother’s Day may we all do our own work, a work that contributes to the growing of the children around us. And we honor and thank those doing the exhausting and important work of mothering children.
As my faith shifts, evolves, changes, and grows so does my view of spirituality, of God, of myself, and of others. Between therapy, intentional community, and more time doing the things I love (and less time doing the things I don’t) I find myself with a wider view of God, a belief in a God who only gets bigger and further beyond what I can comprehend. These days God’s self seems more like a mother’s love and a lot less like the “storybook Bible” presentation I somehow acquired along the way. I hope you can leave room for the work happening inside of me. If you can’t that’s okay too, I’ll just keep on allowing myself to grow and expand and hope my heart looks more like God as Mother that anything else. I wonder how does God in your life resemble a mother? Or a mother’s love? I wonder why we limit God so much…?
Photography done by Janet Lin Photography– see more from our shoot here.
