Sunday, May 11, 2008

Mother's Day

Today I am not at church for Mother's Day. Instead I am home with my sick daughter while my husband has taken the boys to church. Although the doctor thinks she has croup she is actually not seeming overly sick - mostly just hoarse and a little less active, but we don't want to take any chances at infecting anyone else today! I was fine to stay home as I spent all day yesterday at a Womens Retreat.
I have a lot of different thoughts about Mother's Day this year. It's kind of nice to be home with some quiet time so that I can try to process and pray through what I am feeling today.
My main thought is that there are many women around the world today that are sitting at church, sitting home alone, dying under a tree in Africa, that find today more full of pain than celebration. There are also many children that LONG DEEPLY for the love of a mother and have yet to experience it.
I wanted to share some thoughts of another adoptive mother that attended the Orphan Summit last week. Here is the link for her blog.
She was also really moved by Kay Warren's talk. She (Kay) said that she met a woman who was skin and bones dying from Aids. She must have been a week away from death. Kay asked her. "What can I tell the people in America? What can they do for you?" Kay imagined she would say, "Bring me some food or medicine." or "we need money and a warm home" Instead she looked Kay in the eyes and said "Who?Who? who is going to come to take care of my children after I die? what will happen to them?' Kay said she hears the same questions from mothers in China, Russia, India and in places all over the world affected by the AIDS pandemic. When she told this story I just cried picturing Grace, Ella and Jared's sweet birth mom Bayoush. I imagine she had the same plea. I know my wish would be also somehow for my children to never forget me and my love for them. And I would fear they would forget my face and eyes. I would pray they would remember how I looked and smiled at them. I would pray they would always know how very much I loved them and would never ever want to leave them.
In her blog she goes on to say Mother's day is coming next week. Many of us will get dressed up and have our lunches paid for so we won't have to cook. We will enjoy (and should really enjoy and cherish) being in the presence of our children. Or knowing that they are a phone call away. My plea is that we can all remember the children of the world who are orphaned and have no mother's to hold them or read stories to them. I pray that some of you will be inspired to encourage someone else to remember the cries of mother's around the globe who just want to know that someone will come to scoop their children up into their arms and bring them back into a family that will love and take care of them.
So today while I relish in the love of the family that God has graciously given me - I also mourn for the mothers with empty wombs or those who have had to sacrifice raising their sons and daughters. I also grieve for the children who have never felt a mother's embrace. Lord, please forgive me for all the ways I have forgotten these mothers and children that are so dear and precious to your heart. Please show me how I can be a voice and advocate for them from here on out!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I hear ya. I found myself thinking about Sophie's first mom in China this year. I know they don't celebrate Mother's Day in China, but my thoughts went to the difficult decisions she had to make to put that sweet girl in my arms! It's not flowers and breakfast in bed for everyone.