Mother’s Day

“Mothers who are hurting do not feel envious, spiteful, or resentful of other mothers who are hurting.” –Carol Kent, “Laying My Isaac Down”

The other evening I walked with a friend to the parking lot of a church where we had just participated in a community Bible study. As we walked, my sweet friend shared how she and her husband had made the painful decision to admit their young adult son into drug rehab. The son, legally an adult now, had agreed but it was not an easy decision for any of them.

My friend spoke of the knot in her stomach and ache in her heart. I understood. Though none of my children have ever had problems with drugs, there have been other types of problems which helped me earn my membership in that special club—the “Hurting Mothers Club.” As my friend told of her pain, the quote at the start of this blog came to my mind.

Mothers who are hurting are a select group. To have been a part of that group is a badge of honor. It’s like earning a purple heart in battle. It means you have fought in the trenches alongside your also hurting son or daughter. You have shared their burden and your pain has in some small way eased theirs. At least they knew they were not facing their problems alone. 

So, I was moved to write this post to encourage all the hurting mothers out there. I am blessed now to have enough distance between the situations that caused pain to me and my precious children (yes, I’ve been there more than one time with more than one child) to have seen God’s faithfulness, His power, and His healing hand.

Hang in there sweet, hurting mother; whoever you are. God hears your prayers. He loves your child more than you do. He loved them enough to give them you to hurt along with them. 1 Corinthians 13:7 says, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” This Biblical explanation of love perfectly describes the kind of love God has placed deep in the hearts of mothers.    

“The joy of being a mother is so closely linked to the sorrow of being a mother that it is holy ground.” –Stasi Eldredge from her book “Captivating”