The Privileged Life: Honoring Mom

“Let not your heart be troubled….I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” John 14:1a,16

When I was young growing up in Mississippi, it was a Southern tradition to wear a corsage of some kind on Mother’s Day—a red rose if your mom was living, a white one if she had gone on to be with the Lord. My mom and I would cut red or pink rosebuds from her garden and pin them to our dresses to wear to church.

It’s been decades since I upheld that tradition, but with our knockout roses already in full bloom, I decided to honor my mom today by wearing one. My husband clipped a red bloom for me, and I dutifully pinned it to my dress before heading off to church.

We still have my mom (and mom-in-law)  in our lives, both of them in their late 80s and widowed but living independently. What a privilege to still be able to call and visit them. They continue to bless me.

For some women, though, Mother’s Day can be traumatic, depressing, or sad. It’s not an easy day for those who have strained relationships with their moms…or have lost their moms…or are single or divorced or infertile and have never had children. While the rest of the world (for one weekend only a year) give motherhood a grand and glorious spotlight, these women cringe as they slip back into the shadows.

If you’re one of those women, my heart goes out to you. I know the pain. I was single for a long time and then experienced a season of infertility after marriage. Mother’s Day could not move on by soon enough for me.

As this day comes to an end, I pray that God will give you His comfort and peace…a new beginning of some kind…and faith in His plans for your life. May you rest in His love and find that He is all-sufficient for your joy.

Holy Spirit, pour out your peace and rest in the hearts of those who suffer in silence today. Dry their tears, console them, and be their constant Comfort. Help them to know that You are close by…they will never be alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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