Hard to believe my 12th Summer with Alive Student Ministry at North Hills Church came to a close today. There's something so special about student ministry and I'm a firm believer it's the most pivotal time in a persons life. God did AMAZING things in all our different ministry endeavors and I'm still processing it all but in the meantime I'm just grateful. So many students over the past 12 years have passed through our program and they all hold a special place in my heart.
The experiences of motherhood are certainly a blessing, and through them, the Lord teaches us some very profound life lessons. Recently, I was reflecting on a few mothers from the Bible and wanted to share some of their stories with you. Let me start with Eve.
Genesis 3:20 says, “Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.” Now take a moment to consider this: In His written Word, the Lord bestowed that honorable title—mother of all the living—upon someone such as Eve; the same Eve who had sinned and disobeyed Him. I believe this short scripture verse exemplifies the very nature of our God. In our mistakes, He is merciful. Amid our ashes, He brings us beauty.
Believers will observe a similar theme in the biblical story of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. In Genesis 17:16, God bestowed upon her the title mother of nations. The Lord ultimately fulfilled His promise to Sarah through the birth of Isaac, despite her unbelief and mistakes with Hagar & Ishmael.
Biblical characters like Eve and Sarah reveal to us a certain truth: no mother is perfect, yet God loves them anyway. Some moms truly excel at the role, while others falter. But this is where we can choose to respond like He does—with words of honor. And if necessary, with grace and forgiveness.
In preparation for this written piece, I went to an online dictionary to look up the word “mother” and something really stood out. As a verb, “mother” means to care for or protect. In thinking upon this, I contemplated not just my mom and grandmother, but all of the special women God has brought into my life over the years—those who deeply cared for me such as dear friends, spiritual mentors, school teachers, colleagues, and more. Some of these women never had children, yet they mothered. And for that I am truly grateful.
With the arrival of Mother’s Day, let’s give honor and reverence to all of the moms as well as the maternal influences in our lives. And may we all have an earnest desire to lovingly care for and protect those around us as a reflection of our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
