A reflection and prayer for Mother’s Day

“‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”- Number 6: 24-26

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, mother-in-laws and grandmothers who celebrate this day today! We are thankful for you as a community in Christ, and recognise the roles that you play in the lives of your family and also to the people around you. And on this special day, we also acknowledge and recognise upfront that while this is a lovely day to celebrate and give thanks for mothers, it is also a very hard and a painful day for many people for a variety of reasons who are without their children or their mother this day. This is the reality for many within the broader church community, and as people of faith we need to be aware and sensitive of this. 

Mother's Day is a day of mixed emotions for everyone: either positive and negative. We live in a complex world, where something like Mother's Day is not easy or straightforward, and for this reason, I'd like to share a reflection which came from a sermon I heard preached one Mother’s Day many years ago. On this day, and the days around it, may shape our hearts in prayer, reflection and care which binds us all together as community, but more so draw us nearer to God: "To those who gave birth this year to their first child- we celebrate with you. To those who lost a child this year- we mourn with you. To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains- we appreciate you. To those who experienced loss through miscarriages, failed adoptions or running away- we mourn with you. To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears and disappointment- we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don't mean to make this harder than it is. To those who are foster mums, mentor mums, and spiritual mums- we need you. To those who have disappointment, heart ache and distance with your children- we sit with you. To those who lost their mothers this year- we grieve with you. To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother- we acknowledge your experience. To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood- we are better for having you in our midst. To those who have aborted children- we remember you and them on this day. To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children- we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be. To those who step-parent - we walk with you on these complex paths. To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren - yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you. To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year- we grieve and rejoice with you. To those who placed children up for adoption - we commend you for your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart. And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising- we anticipate with you

This Mother's Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you. As another Mother’s Day lands in our calendars and our celebrations, remembrances and rhythm of this day, may we pray: “Gracious Father, you who know the number of hairs on our head, who hold each tear that we cry, who knows the secret thoughts, longings and heartaches of our heart - we commit all mothers and children today into your tender care. We pray your special peace and blessing over all for whom this day is a hard day, and trust them and their loved ones into your loving care. We pray for all families that are together today, we thank you for families, and that you are the God of families. We ultimately give thanks that You are our loving Father who cares for us and provides for us. And we commit today and our community of believers and seekers into your hands. In Jesus' name, Amen.”

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Dharshana is a Baptist pastor who been actively involved in multicultural and CALD (culturally and ethnically diverse) churches for many years. She has served in a range of ministry and pastoral roles both in churches and the local community, including as a youth and young adults worker, a congregational pastor and a high school chaplain. She's a preacher, involved in cross-denominational community ministry with women, and passionate about next-generations ministry- particularly amongst youth, young adults and young workers in both the church and also in the wider community. Dharshana enjoys a good book, musical jam sessions, going to the beach, and catching up with friends and family over a good meal or a coffee. Her hope is that everyone would know the Lord Jesus for themselves and how truly awesome he is.