A different sort of Mother's Day

This mother's day held a host of different emotions for me.

First off, I am so grateful to be a mother, every day, not just one day a year. I recognize our children as a blessing from the Lord that I did not earn nor deserve. They are His not mine and he could take them at any moment he chooses. I pray I steward their lives with this open-hand mentality knowing they are not under my "control" but only his and I pray I point them to the joy filled life that comes with walking closely with Jesus.
I miss it a lot of days, sometimes my patience runs thin or I'd rather just sit instead of playing tag or running in the yard with them. But I realize how short these years are and I want to take advantage of my time with them at each impressionable age.

Next my thoughts on mothers day went to the many single widowed or abandoned mothers I met in Uganda.  Damalie- who has taken in 14 babies and now 3 more since I left a few weeks ago. One that is 16 months old extremely malnourished wearing 3-6 month clothing and never seen solid food before. To the Karomajong mothers who raise their children and other deceased friends' children without complaining. Who do what they can to put food in the mouths of their children. To the mothers there who felt like dirt, who made a few dollars a week from digging for roots in the hot sun, who sold their bodies exposing themselves to HIV for only a few dollars.

(this is a mother who is getting her life back together with the help of Return Ministries. She is stepping away from prostituting and looking for more sustainable, healthy ways of earning income to take care of her daughter)

Also to the mothers all over Africa, who have experienced genocide, rape, displacement, and war. The mothers who carry their children while they run from villages being looted and ravaged by soldiers. Who protect their children from being abducted. Who literally give up their lives for their children to survive.

(taken from boston.com article "world's most dangerous places for women: #2 Congo")

Next my thoughts went to the mothers of our children who have yet to come home. I thank God for their sacrifice. For the job they did of loving these children the best they could for the time they could. I pray for them today as they could still be with our sweet little boy and girl. I pray they are showered in God's love and favor today. I pray they enjoy these two little treasures they are stewarding for this time. I pray they give them hugs, kisses, songs and laughs today. I pray they can do that despite the hardships they are facing while they live in poverty and war.

A mother is the same whether you live in California, Carolina, Congo or China. We just live in different circumstances facing different challenges. I pray we are mindful of the sacrifice that some mothers give just to give life to their children. I pray it moves us to respond and to act.