In the midst of preparing my message for tomorrow–Mother’s Day–I had a feeling that the sermon I was preparing was not the one I was supposed to be preaching. So, I took a nap and woke up with the following on my heart:
I also want to honor the mothers who have suffered from postpartum depression, whose sadness overtakes them in a time of great joy. I want to honor the mothers who have miscarried and who have had still-born children. I want to honor the mothers whose wombs are not capable of bearing children who have been made to feel outcast and ashamed. I want to honor the mothers whose children are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in this very moment. I want to honor the mothers who have a son or daughter behind bars in this very moment. I want to honor the mothers who have had to witness their children experience profound pain. I want to honor the mothers who have lost children to addictions, sickness and disease. I want to honor the mothers who have lost children to senseless accidents and violence. I want to honor the mothers who for whom Mother’s Day is traditionally a time of sadness instead of a day to celebrate. Can we give God thanks for these mothers too?
And so, with these mothers in mind, I will preach from Psalm 42. It is my prayer to acknowledge their pain and perhaps, even, speak a word of hope in the midst of their disquieted souls…
