Many look forward to Mother’s Day, a time to honor, remember and celebrate motherhood.
For this group of people, this day is a good day — a day to eat and play together and give gifts of appreciation. When possible, these are the things we need to do and continue to do. The problem is that this day is not a day to look forward to for others. There are some who can’t wait until the day is over and would prefer that the day would never come again. There are those who recently have lost their mothers; recently for some is in this past year, while for others in the past few years.
The good news is that comfort from the Lord is promised for those who mourn in Matthew 5:4. In the book of Revelation, we are told that all tears will one day be wiped away.
There are at least two groups of women who have difficulty with Mother’s Day. One is comprised of those who earnestly desire to have a child but can’t conceive. We have the example of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:10, where she is described as a person “in bitterness of soul” and weeping because of this issue. The Lord eventually allowed her to have children, but this isn’t the case for many.
Another group that has issues with the day is comprised of those who have lost a child or children. For them, it’s a matter of not being able to be a mother to them anymore. I’m sure Jesus’ mother went through this. We can only imagine the pain and anguish she went through when it is said in John 19:25, “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother.” Through these losses, God can comfort and fill empty lives with peace, but they still are human and have to deal with human feelings and emotions.
There is direction in Scripture for what we can do to help each individual during this day. Romans 12:15 tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. It’s all right to celebrate with those who embrace Mother’s Day, while at the same time showing sympathy to those who are hurting.