Learning To Let My Mothering Cup Overflow

I was reading a Mother’s Day prayer in our church’s monthly newsletter and these 2 paragraphs caught my eye:

“Most gracious heavenly Father…
Assist all “spiritual mothers”, those who, though they may have no children of their own, nevertheless selflessly care for the children of others – of every age and state in life. Grant that they may know the joy of fulfilling this motherly calling of women, whether in teaching, nursing, religious life, or in other work which recognizes and fosters the true dignity of every human being created in Your image and likeness.”

The prayer also hits on mothers who have children in the home, those who have lost children, and to each woman that has been entrusted with motherhood.

That one paragraph really hit home. I know I have talked much about Mother’s Day in the past, on many different levels. One with excitement for what was to be and last year about what had been. My first Mother’s Day as a parent, yet our first without. Though, no one can take the gift of “motherhood” away.

Motherhood is something that is an internal characteristic, not just a physical sign. We hold tightly to the saying that it takes a village to raise a child – Dan and I are forever part of that “village,” no matter where we live. The sphere of life God has us in currently happens to be with teenagers. If we can help foster the dignity of every teenager that we work with, I feel our calling as spiritual “parents” is well worth the journey!

God is continually teaching us to not focus on what we don’t have, but to focus on what He has gifted and given us. Living a life seeing our cup half empty, is not a life that we want to live. We want to see life as our cup half full, knowing full well, that God has our best interests! We can look back and remember what it was like to look at the cup half empty, but God is filling up our cup to overflowing. And the thing is, He was filling it up to overflowing with His grace, love, and mercy, even in our darkest of days.

So even though Mother’s Day will always look a little different for me, I know there are MANY “mothers” out there in the same boat, who have lost children, and who only dream of having kids. I encourage you to look around and see those moments were you are a “mother” to someone. Look at the opportunity of motherhood with your cup half full. I am learnING, that the more I look at God’s ways and surrendering to His plan, the more I see my cup overflowing, with motherhood.

What a blessing.