Mothers of the Church

They're easy to pick out. They sit with sweet smiles on their faces, perhaps a loving arm around their shoulder or sometimes none at all. Sometimes a tear is held shimmering and threatening to spill.

They are the mothers, not of children born to their flesh, but mothers still.

They hold our children when our arms are aching and they do it with such grace and tenderness. They teach Sunday school so we can sit for the one hour a week that we get to be the ones learning God's Word instead of teaching it or training during it. They look and smell like sweet spring flowers because that's what they are, a breath of fresh air to a Mama with many little children born from her flesh.

But today at church I couldn't think of how they have been a blessing to me, all I could think of was, "How can I be a blessing to them?" I have five living children, one in utero, but all I could think on was the ache of my empty arms as I bid farewell to 5 children the past year and it made my heart ache beyond words for my sisters who know that ache far worse.

Our church had a beautiful prayer for barren women in the prayers of the church, and, instead of focusing the sermon on "Mother's Day", my pastor delivered the most beautiful sermon on our Good Shepherd Jesus, and the way He cares for us so perfectly like no earthly mother could ever attain...and in the children's message the pastor handed out carnations to the little ones who came up to give to their Mamas in the pew. My heart cringed and crumpled within me as I glanced tentatively over my shoulder. Yes, there she is...and there she is....and there she is...oh sweet women, sweet mothers of our church...you deserve a whole bouquet of flowers!

I approached our senior pastor after church as he handed out flowers to ALL the women, even young single women, leaving our church. I said, "Oh Pastor, I'm so glad to see you giving flowers to ALL the women of our church who mother God's children in so many ways!" He looked somewhat guiltily at me while explaining we had too many left over since it was now the end of the second service. I said, "I wonder if next year we might order lots more? Perhaps after the service some of our little children could hand out flowers to all the women and thank them, all of them, for their love to our church?" He immediately went back to the altar guild ladies and told them of our new plans for next year.

Mothers of the church, you faithful women who serve and have always gone home to empty bedrooms and maybe an empty crib from a child gone home before you could hold him or her to the font, I prayed for you today. And I thought of you, thanked God for you, and you ARE mothers.

You are mothers when you remain steadfast in the faith you were baptized into because it is then that the little children in the pews around you SEE you in the pew and are encouraged by your presence and steadfastness. You are mothers when you kiss my kids cheeks, when you teach Sunday school, and when you smile at a little one flashing his chubby hands in a wave as he peeks up over the pew at you.

You are mothers simply by being faithful women in the church because that is who the church is, our mother, our blessed mother who comforts ALL of us. So even if you never teach Sunday School and the ways you serve and love are completely elsewhere, you are part of the body of Christ, part of His beloved church, and you are a blessed mother. Thank you. Thank you for your love, your service, and your example. I pray for you and am blessed to see you in the pews around me.

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