A Mother's Tears

Mommy Kisses

After celebrating a lovely mother's day complete with a special chocolate chip pancake breakfast, an encouraging church service, a long nap, and the gift of a travel hair dryer (a luxury I haven't had for the last 3 months), I realize how blessed I am to be so loved and cared for by my husband. He works hard to encourage me and serve me, constantly pointing me to my position in Christ, reminding me of the grace I've been given so freely.

This week, though, I saw tears shed by a couple mothers. A dear friend shared with me how she spent mother's day in the hospital with her 26-year-old son. He's been very nervous lately and suffers from chronic gastritis. He just graduated from college. As my friend told me about his sickness, she burst into tears, claiming it was all her fault. She explained to me that her son was from her first husband, and that he was always supportive and loving even though her second husband, with whom she had 2 children with, was verbally abusive to both him and her. He has always been the easy child, organized, responsible, and hard-working. Her second husband left her (which is she is grateful for) and she now blames herself for all the stress and anxiety that her son feels. I cried with her, amazed at how much she loves her son, something I can empathize with.

At bible study this week, we prayed with another mother broken over her son. He has been hiding in a nearby city after taking some of the family's money to start a printing business. When the business didn't work out, he took to drinking, and nobody can find him. I saw her tears displaying how deeply this mother wishes to be reunited with her son.

Finally, this week I cried, thankfully not over my son, but rather over a lack of heart-to-heart female fellowship. It is still hard for me to communicate my feelings in a second language. I pray that this would become easier as I slowly become more comfortable with Spanish. I tearfully admitted this need to both a dear friend here and to Michael. The friendships I had with women from home, I totally took for granted! For any of you dear women and fellow mothers reading this - thank you for all of your empathy, encouragement, wisdom, and listening ears. Michael can only fulfill this desire to a point and I recognize my need to rely on Christ for approval, rather than a person. But it is a struggle I thought I would share.

Lots of tears this week, but our Savior has a plan in each of these situations, for redemption and for rejoicing.