Was your Mother's Day less than best?
Trust me. You are not alone.
Although mine had some distinct blessings - such as my sweet girl waking early to surprise me with homemade bread, a handwritten Mother's Day greeting, and a plant that she had gone out into the rain to find, pot up and give me - there were also some pretty powerful hurts.
Hurts that had me crying silent tears all through Mass this morning. Hurts which - although they made me more sorrowful than angry - had the words of this song hitting me hard:
"I don’t want to be an angry woman
With a brillo pad for a heart
All tangled up and rusted
Just waiting to fall apart...
I don’t want to talk about it
Nobody really needs to know...
Everything I give to You...
I had in mind a brighter Eden
But You I’ll find in Gethsemane...
if You will, You can make me clean..."
But, God is so much bigger than any of our hurts, and He can make us clean.
In fact, He does make us clean.
And He calls us, no matter how "tired... and forgotten" we may feel at times, to "finally learn to be happy and have patience with the constant changing rhythm" of our lives.
Lives which we may expect to be filled with HAPPY Mother's Days, but, which may be filled with just many ordinary days - some better than others, all calling us to keep on keeping on, doing our best as wives and mothers no matter what happens on a given day.
Yes, Mama, even when we feel weak, He is calling after us, asking “Who will feed my sheep? Who will heed their cry?” and, it is up to us to hear His call, to set aside our challenges, and to just try.
To give our meager loaves and fish and trust Him to multiply them, making miracles happen.
Miracles.
Yes, miracles.
Every day, He does make miracles.
Mama, even if today was a hard, hard day, I bet if you look back at it, you can find a miracle in it.
Something that was precious.
For, certainly, there is good in this day and it would be a shame to let it be overshadowed.
So, Mama, please, just pause right now. SLOW DOWN. Take a big, deep breath and invite Him in. Invite Him to show you the extraordinary in this ordinary day.
Invite Him to let you see yourself and your life through His eyes.
Invite Him to let you see your spouse and your children as He does.
Let hope override hurt.
Allow hope to help you see the special - to soak it in.
Let our Lord point you to the precious in the present even amidst the pain and challenge.
And, then, Mama, if you're still struggling, just give it all over to Him - every last little bit of sorrow, hurt, and pain. Hand it right over and rest, knowing this day is done.
It doesn't ever have to be lived again.
Tomorrow is a new day, and - God-willing - it will be the one that has you singing and dancing in celebration.
For, yes, Mama, today may not have seemed a day worth singing about, but He is with us and THAT is worth celebrating!
No matter how your day was, Mama. No matter how tomorrow may be, know this one thing: You are loved and love always prevails.
