Originally published Thursday, 07 May 2015.
Messenger: Mary, don’t be afraid. You have found favour with God. Listen, you are going to become pregnant. You will have a son, and you must name Him “Saviour,” or Jesus. Luke 1:30-31 (VOICE)
I’m not sure if I have it in me to be mom.
I'm not sure I have the courage to have a piece of my heart beat outside my body.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be brave enough to take the step into parenthood.
I have a mother who chose to do that - not once - but three times.
A mother who taught me to give God glory no matter what happens.
A mother who reminds me that love takes us places we never thought we could go.
A mother who models how to turn a worry into a prayer.
A mother who answers the phone and says, “I’m coming.” Then loves my husband and I with hot meals, a tidy house and flowers so we can have a breather during Xylon’s chemo.
A mother who makes her children want to rise up and bless her.
My mother has shown me that I’m braver than I think.
She packed her courage in her suitcase and took a 20-hour plane trip to visit a sister she hadn’t seen for 21 years. The journey scared her but she did it anyway.
Then the call came that she was to be a grandparent. I think that scared her too. But she rose to the challenge. And she loves that little boy fiercely.
I am often struck by how brave my mom is.
I wonder whether Mary was brave before she was pregnant with Jesus.
I don’t think so.
After all, Luke 1:30-31, tells us an angel had to tell her,
“Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.”
She knew this “surprise” from God would mean rejection by her friends and family members.
She knew her fiancé might leave her.
She might even have had an inkling that the world might not receive a savior with arms open wide.
And Mary’s, “yes”, meant that Jesus could be born to open his arms to the broken, the frightened and the outcast, and say, “Come, follow me.”
Mary’s, “yes”, meant she’d discover one day when her son hung on a cross that she was braver than she knew.
When I see my mom friends struggling with the smallness of their world: the diapers, the feeding and the endless changing of tiny clothes, I wish they knew how much I admire them.
I wish every mom knew that their role is not a small one. (tweet this)
I wish they had an angel to come and tell them, "Don’t be afraid. You have found favour with God."
I wish they knew that they are braver than they think. I wish they knew that they will be able to overcome their fears because they are a mother, because they love another tiny human fiercely.
One day if Xylon and I decide to open our arms to children I hope I remember that God uses regular, ordinary moms in extraordinary ways. (tweet this)
Ponder: What has the bible taught you about being a mom? Is there one thing that you wish all mom’s knew?
Prayer: Dear God, bless all mothers. Bless them when they feel joy and when they feel bewilderment. Help each mother to know that she is seen and loved by you especially when she feels like no one sees her. Let her know that she is never alone – you are always with her. Give her the strength to trust you to look after her child better than she ever can.
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- This was orginally published on my site in May 2015. To read more devotionals like this go to ilovedevotionals.com
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