Mother's Day always lands on a Sunday. As a child I would spend the morning greeting my mom with love, attention, and some presents. My dad would make breakfast and we would celebrate my mom and all that she does for us. Later that morning we would head over to church. We would sing and praise God for all mothers -- the ones present as well as the ones mentioned in the Bible.
When it came to sermons about mothers, it was very typical to hear stories about Mary and other strong moms who have made a positive impact on scripture. It wasn't common to hear sermons about mothers like Elizabeth, who struggled to have just one child.
Mother's Day is meant to be positive, but that's not always the case... is it?
While I agree that Mother's Day is a beautiful holiday (and most mothers deserve more than one day to celebrate all that they do for us), Mother's Day can also make countless women grieve and ache. I'm talking about the women who long to be wives so one day they can become mothers, the women who are struggling to become mothers due to health issues, the women who cannot (biologically) become mothers, and the women who are fighting with adoption agencies to bring their adopted children home.
My heart aches for these women.
At one point in my life I struggled to believe that I would ever get married. I didn't date in high school and college wasn't much different. I was good at being best buds with my guys friends, but I guess they never saw me as "girlfriend material". Thankfully, this story has a happy ending because my first serious boyfriend became my husband. Dan and I have been together for over eight years and our four-year wedding anniversary quickly coming up next month. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Even after all these years I still look at Dan and thank God for bringing him into my life. I still look at Dan in awe and admire how beautifully our relationship has evolved over the years. Dan is an answer to prayer.
Mine and Dan's relationship in built on a firm foundation of faith, with Christ in the center. Every night we pray together, praising God for His countless blessings, and when times get rough we pray even more. Sometimes, in the middle of a fight, we'll stop everything and just pray together -- that is when we see prayer work the fastest.
Now that I'm happily married, I came face-to-face with a new struggle... will I ever be able to have children of my own? Admitting you need medical assistance to have a baby is quite embarrassing. It leaves you feeling like you've failed as a woman and already failed as a mother. That's grief setting in and it isn't going anywhere.
Infertility awarenss has been growing a lot these days and I am still shocked at how many women/families struggle with infertility. Not to mention, the many friends I know who have struggled to have a baby or are
still struggling to have a baby.
This past Sunday, Mother's Day, our Student Ministries Pastor, Will Peycke, shared a sermon that gave a whole new perspective on Mother's Day. He spent time focusing on encouraging the women who long to be mothers.
Pastor Will's sermon was extremely encouraging and certainly one of the best Mother's Day sermons I have ever heard! His thoughtful words encouraged women and families to "stay in the story" and keep calling out to God when times get hard.
It is so easy for us to get discouraged when things don't go our way. It's amazing how quickly we become bitter and angry with God when He doesn't answer our prayers the way we want. Again, we have to keep in mind that God's timing is perfect and while we don't always understand His plan, it is in our best interest in trust Him.
Think about a child at a store with his/her parents. The child wants some candy but the parents say no. Next, the child screams and throws a fit in the middle of the store crying out, "You're so mean to me! You never let me have anything I want!"
Is that true? Are the parents mean for denying the child some candy right at that moment. Absolutely not!
Sadly, this is how we act when God doesn't say "yes" right away to our prayers. We get upset and claim things that certainly aren't true.
"You're so mean to me!"
Really? Take a step back and count your blessings. God is so good to us! He treats us better than we deserve and too often we take His love, mercy, and forgiveness for granted.
I'll admit, I've acted like a child when God hasn't answered my prayers rigth away. I've gotten angry and upset, telling Him how disappointed I am in His decisions for my life. I can be a real brat sometimes... a real spoiled brat!
While the road of infertility is certainly not an easy one, I have learned to stay in my story and to remain faithful to God. Some days I worry more than others, but when I have moments of doubt I've learned to call out to God and ask for peace. Again, it's amazing how quickly God can answers such prayers.
I'd like to encourage
everyone to listen to Pastor Will's Mother's Day sermon. Follow the link I've provided below and click on "
Mother's Day: Stay in the Story".
"Mother's Day: Stay in the Story"
Luke 1:5-14
Student Ministries Pastor, William Peycke
Student Ministries Pastor, Will Peycke in Alaska on a youth group mission trip June 2011.
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