Below is a copy of the brief reflection and prayer that we participated in on Mother’s Day 2018.

 

The vocation of mothering is exhilarating, exhausting, challenging, and rewarding. We pray God’s strength for you today and each day.

We also recognize the complexity of this day. There are many more stories to be told and recognized than the story of “I wanted to get married and be a mom, and so I got married and became one.” The human story is painted in many colors, bright and dark. We want to recognize the multitude of stories that are to be told on this day and so we pray the following prayer. Even while praying this prayer we know that not all the stories will be told, but we hope you’ll find resonance in this prayer….

“For those who got pregnant right way and those who have been trying for years…

For those who entrust their babies to the care of another family…

For those who cannot wait to welcome a baby into their home and those who are terrified they are not fit to be parents…

For those whose child will get a soccer scholarship and those whose child will never run…

For those who proudly pose for pregnant photos and those who shamefully hide their bellies…

For those who are proud to be fathers and those who hope the DNA tests are incorrect…

For those who pay child support and those who need child support…

For those who fight with teenage daughters and those whose daughters have run away…

For those who cannot pay for college and those who cannot pay for medical care…

For those who homeschool and those who fear their children won’t make it home from school…

For those who think their son is the best surprise of their life…

For those whose children are in prison and those whose children want to be correction officers…

For those whose baby doesn’t live outside of the womb and those whose wombs are empty…

For those taking hormones and those who feel exhausted from hormone changes…

For those grieving what will never be and those amazed by what life has become…

For those who are single parents and those who are now step parents…

For those who have an empty nest and for those whose nest was never full…

For the couple who is closer than ever and the couple getting divorced…

For all of your children [and mothers] of all ages, hold them close and give them life… Amen.”

(Written by Rev. Ashley-Anne Masters)