Today is a day to celebrate! Celebrate your mother, celebrate being a mother, and celebrate those who are mothers, even if you are not. It's not a day to feel sad and sorry. I know that this day can be hard for some people. Maybe your mother wasn't there for you. Maybe she was abusive to you. Maybe on this day, you long to be a mother and your dreams haven't yet been fulfilled. Those are terribly difficult things to face on a day like today when we celebrate and honor mothers. I want to encourage everyone out there today to celebrate. For those of us who are mothers, celebrate without guilt. For those of us who haven't yet become mothers, focus on those around you who are mothers and celebrate them! For those whose mothers were absent or abusive in some way, maybe today would be a good day to celebrate the life that they gave YOU, which may be the only gift they gave to you. I know that can be hard, but today try to do that. It may lift your spirit. Today could be a day for you to celebrate a wonderful mother in your life who is not your own mother, but who has invested in you in some way and has been like a mother to you.
I felt compelled to write this today, because over the last several years, I have noticed a trend on this day in which people want to focus on the negative. I have sat through several sermons delivered on Mother's Day focusing on those whose mothers were abusive or absent and how we need to forgive those mothers. While this is true, can we save that talk for another day? Can we encourage everyone to celebrate God's invention of the mother? In its ideal form, the form that God intends, it is a beautiful reflection of HIM! Can we find the good and the worthy and that which mirrors the heart of God and celebrate *that* today? I pray that today across country, instead of guilt, sorrow, or self-pity, there will be celebrating. The negative talk can wait for another day. There is no need for those who are blessed with being mothers to be made to feel guilty because there are others out there who desperately want to be mothers and haven't realized that dream. We do mourn with these women, but today it's okay to celebrate and be celebrated.
I recently read an article that spoke of not being the "Hallmark" mom, not being the perfect mom. Well, of course, none of us are that perfect mom, but it's ok to let your children celebrate you, to let them tell you how wonderful you are, even though you aren't perfect. It really doesn't matter if this day was created by a card company. What's wrong with a day set aside to celebrate mothers? In this day and age, mothers are rarely revered and exalted. Many times, mothers are told they could or should be doing something "more important." Today, let's remind them they are doing the *most* important thing, and that it is God Himself who has called them to that place!
I felt today I needed to write a word of encouragement to really celebrate this day. No guilt. No sadness. Think on the positive side. I don't mean to come across as insensitive to those for whom this day may be difficult. My intention is to encourage everyone today to find the mother who reflects the heart of God in your life and celebrate her. It is to encourage the moms out there who deeply feel all their inadequacies and failures to bask in the love and attention of the dear ones in their lives and allow themselves to be celebrated!
To all mothers out there, I shout with joy: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! Enjoy YOUR day! This doesn't happen very often! Be blessed today!
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