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5.14.2009

Yes, I really haven't posted since Easter. The blogging guilt is great, but I'm just going to pretend I haven't been gone.

Guess what? I was blessed by Mother's Day this year.

(No, I'm not pregnant.)

I went to church with the usual expectations: All the moms will be asked to stand, everyone will clap a lot, I will sit and feel a knot in my stomach and a desire to sink into the floor.

During the singing time at the beginning of our church meeting, I tried to prepare my heart. We sang songs with a focus on the spread of God’s kingdom and glory, asking him to “use us as You want, whatever the test.” That reminded me that my trials are about something bigger than myself. In ways I can’t always see, he is using the troubles in my life to spread the gospel. As we sang, God brought to my mind these words from 2 Cor. 4:

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

What a precious reminder that while I am afflicted, perplexed and struck down by infertility, I am not crushed, driven to despair, forsaken, or destroyed. Not even on Mother's Day. I was encouraged to think of that moment of sitting down while mothers were honored as a small way of dying to self and sharing in Christ’s sufferings, and as a way to show the life of Christ in me by sitting in peace rather than in shame or self-pity.

But God still had more encouragement in store for me.

Our church is in the middle of a series on Proverbs, and that morning we skipped ahead to Proverbs 31. Tab (our senior pastor) shared some words of praise for various moms in our church that their husbands had sent in at his request. But then he highlighted three single ladies (one with a teenager, one with grown children, and one who has never married or had kids) and how they have been fruitful women. My heart lifted to know that those of us ladies who are in the demographic minority among the women in church were remembered and honored. Then, at the end of his message, Tab asked ALL the ladies – young, old, single, married, moms or not – to stand and be honored and prayed for. I started crying happy tears. For the first time in five years, rather than battling for faith during the entire Sunday morning of Mother’s Day and feeling isolated by the lack of children that I so desire, I experienced a Mother’s Day at church where I felt uplifted and encouraged and joyful.

I'm so grateful for such a tangible reminder of God's favor for me, secured to me by his Son!

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For another, better post on Mother's Day, please read Molly Piper's "Do you want to die this Mother's Day?" If you've lost a child or experienced infertility, you'll identify and be spurred on. If you haven't experienced either of those things, it will help you understand a little bit more of what goes on in the hearts of your friends who have.

7 comments:

Jill said...

Good to see you back, girl. :)

This post has me in tears. I believe all ministers should be as wise as yours...honoring all women on that day.

Great post!

((hugs))

Anonymous said...

Your faith comes through so strongly in your posts. Always a source of encouragement. I'm glad you had an uplifting and encouraging Mother's Day.

JJ said...

I was happy to see your name pop up in my reader!

What a special message...and what a great way to celebrate all women!

Stacey said...

Andrea,

I love this post so much that I'm honestly thinking about respectfully passing it along to my pastor. I am thrilled that you had such a positive experience.

Excellent post, and great comment from Alex and Jill. I completely agree!

I'm always glad to see a post from you!

Stacey said...

Shoot, I forgot to say something. I recently found Molly Piper's blog and I read (and commented on) that same post. It was very touching.

Angie said...

Andrea--

Last Sunday before church I was praying for you to have peace knowing that Mother's Day has been a source of temptation for you in past years. I praised God as I read your post, knowing that He was very obviously working in you as you worshiped on Sunday morning and that He was specifically caring for you by reminding you of verses you've hidden in your heart. My own heart was filled with joy FOR YOU on Sunday as I sat and listened to Tab speak praises to the noble women in our church. I was delighted as he asked all the women to stand and couldn't help but look over at you with great joy as you stood proudly receiving accolades you so equally deserve.

Thanks for coming over last night! It was such a blessing to get to spend some time with you. Just wanted to encourage you by saying that as I reflected on the night, I just kept thinking of the word JOY and how you radiate joy. It's contagious. It points me to the cross. Thanks!

In Search of Morning Sickness said...

I actually happened to be in my old SG church in Charlotte on Mother's Day and I was so worried about how it would be. Yes, now I am a mother, my very first time. But I know what it feels like to stand in the audience and feel nothing but pain and as if you're overlooked on a day like that. It was odd, and I actually was out of hte sanctuary when they did the "stand and clap." I spent the time praying for the women whose hearts were breaking at that moment. I am glad to hear how Tab handled that, because I think it's so important that other women and their roles get honored and not forgotten as well.