Mother’s Day Pain

I see you.

Those of you who long to be mothers, are mothers, or were mothers with empty wombs and empty arms.

I see you.

Those of you who thought you would one day marry and have children, but are still single.
Those of you who thought you’d be pregnant by now,  but the tests keep coming up negative.
Those of you who have been pregnant for weeks or months, but never made it full term.
Those of you who bonded with the child in your womb, but when labor was over your baby had no breath.
Those of you who held a living child for hours, days, weeks, months or even years but have since buried your precious baby.
Those of you who made the amazing sacrifice of giving your baby to someone else to raise.
Those of you who chose or were forced to terminate and live with the deepest regret.

I see you all.
I’m thinking of you on this day that is joyful for many but acutely painful for you. I see you, but more importantly, He sees you.

The God of creation who loves you with an everlasting love has arms open waiting to hold you.  He knows the loss of a child. He knows grief. He knows pain. He is with you. I’m praying for you today. I’m praying that you will feel His comfort even as you shed your tears. Take your hurt to Him. He can and will hold it for you!

In Silence, Stillness & Grief

I think about this day a lot. This day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  This day that little to nothing is written about. This Sabbath day of silence and stillness and grief. 

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I imagine the grief of the women on this day. The woman who knew he was coming first, carried the Savior in her womb, and raised him from infancy. The women who followed Jesus throughout His ministry, were acknowledged and not overlooked by him, and were taught by and believed in Him.   The women who stood on that hill and watched him die.  The women who cleaned his body as best they could  and walked him to his tomb. The women who went home and quickly prepared spices for his body before the mandatory rest of Sabbath began. 

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I imagine them waking up to silence and stillness and grief. The Sabbath meant no work for them or anyone else, so there were no noises of land being farmed, meals being cooked, homes being cleaned or people going to market.  Even movement was kept to a minimum, doing only what is necessary so that no one appeared to be working. In that silence, in that stillness, how loud and big must their grief have been.

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If you have ever grieved you know how activity serves to distract you, give you momentary escape from your heartache.  They had no such distractions. Just the silence and stillness and grief to remind them painfully of his absence. 

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Scripture says, “But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” Luke‬ ‭23:56‬ ‭

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In that time of darkness, loss, heartache and pain, on that day of silence and stillness and grief these women were obedient. They hurt, but they obeyed God. They grieved, but they obeyed God.  They felt hopeless, but they obeyed God.  They felt lost, but they obeyed God. They didn’t know what was coming next, but they obeyed God.

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What we do in the silence and stillness and grief matters. It may not be seen by many or any but God, but it matters. It may not be written about or talked about much later, but it matters. In the silence and stillness and grief, when we are most aware of our own frailness and powerlessness, we must continue to obey God.  God is in the silence, whispering to our hearts.  God is in the stillness, moving and working to do His will. God is in the grief, drawing us closer to Him. Don’t ignore this day. Don’t overlook it. We will all have days like this Sabbath in our lives. We will all have to walk through the silence and stillness and grief to get to the Hope. 

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Have You Heard About...

I don't know about you, but I love a good recommendation. I love to hear about a great new book, movie, restaurant, deal or product that I didn't know about before. I also like to share a good thing when I stumble upon one. So here are a few of my current book recommendations for grown-ups and kids! 

1. "TOGETHER" by Kara-Kae James:  My friend Kara-kae James has a new book out designed for Moms and their kids called "Together". It's a journal you work through together to help you talk about things from the big stuff to the everyday stuff.  I just got my copy and can't wait to start using it with my daughter.  It is recommended for kids ages 8-12 and their moms.  If you don't know Kara-kae, you need to!  She's the founder and director of Thrive Moms and is an incredible voice of encouragement and realness for moms out there.  Her book "Mom Up" had me talking back to her out loud in random places.  So good! 
2. BOB Books by Bobby Lynn Maslen: I'm on round two of the BOB book experience.  I used these when my oldest was starting to read and now I'm using them with my preschooler.  They are great books to get them started.  The first ones are short with simple sounds, which is perfect to build up their confidence in their ability to read! 
3. Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison: I love this precious book with one page bios and sweet illustrations about amazing women. We read one at a time with the kids and have a mini history lesson built into our story time.  Great for every month of the year (not just Black History month). She has several books in the series. We also have "Little Legends" which is all about the men of Black History.  I think everyone should have these books on their shelf because Black history is American history!
4. Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman and Lee Strobel: This is what I'm reading right now, and I'm energized by it.  Newman and Strobel really encourage us to approach evangelism as our Savior did, by asking more questions rather than giving pat answers. I think it makes it much less intimidating. Instead of worrying that I won't have the answers, I can think more about asking them good questions.  A great read for all who want to do a better job of loving their neighbors and sharing the gospel.  So, basically everyone.