“The Highs And Lows Of Motherhood”
Text: Angel -- “Greetings, you are highly favoured… the Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)
“I am the Lord’s servant…” Luke 1:38
“Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’ And then the angel left her.” Luke 1:38
Text: “…a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Lu 2:35)
Introduction: What’s it like to be a Mom?
A lady who wanted to be a mom for many years finally announced on Mother’s day that she was pregnant. It was a miracle… after a prayer prompted by the Holy Spirit.
Dorothy Day… writer…social activist lived in the (1897-1980)
• Lived as a wild living bohemian… and later became a devout catholic.
• Day was an active journalist and described her social activism in her writings. In 1917 she was imprisoned as a member of nonviolent Silent Sentinels. In the 1930s, Day established the Catholic Worker Movement, a pacifist movement that combines direct aid for the poor and homeless with nonviolent direct action . She practiced civil disobedience, which led to additional arrests in 1955,[5] 1957,[6] and in 1973 at age 75.
Dorothy Day became a follower of Jesus…What triggered her conversion?
In part, it was motherhood.
Being a writer she describes labour pain…
Labor – “ earthquake and fire swept my body. my spirit was a battle ground on which thousands were butchered in the most horrible manner. through the Rush and roar of the cataclysm which was all about me I heard the murmur of the doctor and answered the murmur of the nurse in my head. In a white blaze of thankfulness I knew that ether (sedation) was forthcoming.”
I’m sure the Mpom’s listening today can relate to this colorful account!
Dorothy Day describes becoming a mother and holding her baby this way…
“If I had written the greatest book, composed the greatest symphony, painted the most beautiful painting, or carved the most exquisite figure I could not have felt (the presence of ) our exalted creator more than I did when they placed my child in my arms… no human creature could conceive or contain so vast a flood of love and joy as I often felt after the birth of my child. …and with this came the need to worship.”
But who to thank?
… she came to see, worship, adoration, Thanksgiving, prayer, these were the noblest acts of which humanity was capable of in this life.”
David Brooks comments, “the birth of her child began her transformation from a scattered person to a centered one, from an unhappy bohemian to a woman who had found her calling.”
I want to contrast this picture with another picture… picture with me an orphanage… I speak of Grace Orphanage in the city of L’viv, Ukraine. I place I have visited and where my heart has been deeply moved by the beautiful children living there and the godly people who mother these children.
• 30 plus children
• Beautiful.
• Innocent.
• some have been neglected
• some have been abandoned
• some taken by the government from their parents – or a single mom
• …and then they come into this orphanage – not a state orphanage – but a Christian orphanage… where they learn of God’s love and become part of a church…where the house parents read the bible and pray before tucking the children into bed.
A place where “Mom” takes on new meaning… and family has a new dimension…all inspired by the love of God.
My good friend Pastor Taras Kolovoska provides the oversight… and raises the funds to keep the orphanage open.
On Sunday two years ago, at Taras’ church, I met a boy who isn’t an orphan but has had to grow up too soon…his Mom is disabled and his Dad isn’t a believer… so he comes to church by bus every Sunday…with his sister.
A few day later, I travelled to a small town 2 hours outside L’viv to visit my friends Roman and Victoria… they have 3 children
• Diana 12
• Elizabeth 8
• Roman jr 5
They were excited to have a visitor in their home and couldn’t wait for me to arrive… then once I did arrive, they played shy… but I know my way around shy… I pull out my phone and start showing them pictures of my kids and our dog… they couldn’t resist!
We played games …we laughed and I listened to the children on the piano and the violin .The next day, Sunday when I had to say good-bye…little Roma actually cried.
…But my point is I saw a beautiful, Christian family where children are loved… they have no TV and no computer… there house is under construction – no doors on the kitchen cupboards yet…but there is family and there is joy… and there is God’s presence.
Now Let’s look closer at Mary – the mother of our Lord…
It’s amazing to think that Mary was “a teenager” when she received the news from Gabriel that she would carry the Messiah … this call had the potential to ruin her standing in the community, break her engagement, and destroy her family. Still, any pain and confusion she experienced here would only be the tip of the sword that would pierce her own heart and soul in the years to come.
Mary nurtures Jesus as any good mother would, but from time to time is confronted with the reality that she has to let him go - And the letting go will take her all the way to the agony of the cross, where she watches helplessly as her son is crucified. Yes… The sword has pierced her soul …
Lets review the events of Mary’s life…
Angel Gabriel speaks to her… “Mary, you are highly favoured.” Luke 1:28 “highly favoured indeed.” But here pregnancy creates Suspicion and Joseph wants to divorce her.
Then, Mary visits Elizabeth …“blessed are you among women…” says Elizabeth!!! It turned into a 3 month visit
As her due date neared…. The Journey to Bethlehem was imposed upon her – she made the journey on a donkey. Her baby was born among the animals…In a feeding trough or manger… there was no spa to pamper Mary.
Then 8 days later off to Jerusalem – present him to the Lord.
There in the temple we overhear the Prophecy of Simeon “… a sword will pierce your own soul too. Luke 2:35
Then the Escape to Egypt …Mary and Joseph and Jesus become Refugees…Hunted by Herod.
Finally after herod’ death they finally return home to Nazareth…
At Age 12 during a family trip to Jerusalem – Mary loses her child in the big city (Lk 2:41-50). After 3 days of searching for him… they find Jesus at the Temple… Luke 2:48 “ son, why have you treated us like this? Jesus the 12 year old replies… “I was doing Fathers business” … but they didn’t understand!!! (Lk 2:50) “I sword will pierce you our soul too Mary.”
Does this sound familiar???
At Age 30 – there’s a wedding in a nearby village… Cana… they have no more wine… so mary – the Mom, Mary asks her son to do something…why do you involve me? My time has not yet come… maybe it has!!!
Mary replies simply and directly… “do whatever he says…”
When Jesus public ministry began Mary could only visit her son…perhaps it was a Mom’s curiosity or Mom’s worry…
Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you. He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. (Matthew 12: 47 )… I wonder how mary felt with such an answer!
3 years later Mary is seen at the foot of the cross…
There, while hanging between heaven and earth Jesus turns to his beloved Mother… “woman behold your son…” (John 19:26-27) and then he turns to his best friend, John… John, take care of Mom” and so John “the disciple took Mary into his home” … presumably because her husband Joseph was now dead.
On Resurrection morning a number of women went to the tomb of Jesus… not expecting it to be empty…It doesn’t appear that Mary went to the tomb with the others…Maybe she was too broken-hearted. The sword that killed Jesus – as Simeon said – had pierced her very soul too.
But Mom’s are resilient… and so on the day of Pentecost – after 7 days of waiting in the upper room acts 1:14.. we discover from the book of acts that Mary, Jesus mother, is among the 120. “they all joined together constantly in prayer along with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus and with his brothers.”
Conclusion;
Motherhood is difficult!!! God asks a great deal on mothers. He asked a great deal of Mary…. {Though she was highly favoured.} The sword that pierced her son’s body… pierced her very soul. All Mom’s need God’s grace… If motherhood was easy – you could do it on your own… but you need God. Mothers Day isn’t about trying to be super mom, or tiger mom… it’s about being a child --- a child of God!
Mothers need someone to lean on – and that someone is God himself. God wouldn’t have it any other way!!!
The story of Jesus and Mary convinces me that Jesus is very much “tuned in” to Mothers. God understands mothers… and he cares … and he helps… and he listens …and he makes all the difference.
Dorothy Day at the end of her life tells this short story of the moment when she tried to make a literary summation of her life. She had been a writer all those years and it would've been natural to write a memoir.
She sat down one day to compose something like that. “I try to think back; I try to remember this life that the Lord gave me; the other day I wrote down the words “a life remembered.” I was going to try to make a summary for myself, write what mattered most-- but I couldn’t do it. I just sat there and thought of our Lord and his visit to us all those centuries ago and I said to myself that my great luck, was to have had him on my mind for so long, in my life.” P. 104 (D.Brooks)
Happy Mothers Day, Moms…
Mother’s Day isn’t about trying to be Super Mom…or Tiger Mom… instead it's about being a child – a child of God.
