The Melanin Series wants to wish all mother and motherly figures a happy Mother’s Day. Today is your day. We want to celebrate you by providing you with wisdom, encouragement, and love. As part of your community and we want to let you know that we notice your work. We see and appreciate your kindness, selflessness, intelligence, patience, and hard work.
This is for you.
I am not a mother, but I was risen by a collection and community of strong women and mothers.
For those of you who may not understand Caribbean culture, everyone pitches in when a child is born. The aunties, uncles, cousins, grandparents, neighbours, siblings… everyone helps. I was raised by my parents, but I was strongly influenced by the power of the women that were around me. My grandmother shared, and continues to share, the depths of her wisdom with me. My aunties always encouraged me to pursue my dreams and keep God close to my heart in the process. Even family friends and godparents would exemplify grace, kindness, and poise in the way that they held themselves.
DNA does not make you a mother.
It is the relationships that you form with children, biological or not, that solidify your relationships or your role as a parent or guardian. Many women have given birth to children, yet do not act as a mother should. On the other hand, many women have bonds with children that are not their own and are christened a motherly figure in these children’s lives. Therefore, this Mother’s Day, we should take the chance to honour all of the mother figures in our lives.
Mother’s, God created women to distribute wisdom.
6 Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6, NIV
As parents, mothers must keep children on God’s path.
God commands mothers to discipline (Proverbs 13:24) and comfort to their children. Additionally, mothers must aid children as they seek knowledge and wisdom from God. God wants all of His to lead others by example. He wants His daughters to lead their children by practicing the very qualities that He expects them to have.
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
Proverb 31: 30-31 (NIV)
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Proverbs 31, especially verses 10-30, beautifully illustrates the roles of Godly women.
This woman is kind, compassionate, honest, patient, sincere, trustworthy, intelligent, and easygoing. She has integrity, makes smart choices, and works hard without complaining. The Godly woman advises her children and her husband to make decisions that favour God and His word. The ways of the world do not influence her. Gossiping, lying, and insulting other people do not entice her. This woman fills herself with passion for God and seeks all opportunities to display this love.
46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord
Luke 1: 46-48, NIV
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
When Mary received the news that she was going to be a mother despite being a virgin, she did not reject God’s gift. Instead, she embraced her pregnancy. Her words? “May your word to me be fulfilled”. In Mary’s time, being an unwed mother was a travesty. Imagine the ridicule that she faced, the disgrace placed on her, her family, and Joseph. She sacrificed a lot to give birth to our Lord and Saviour.
Mothers, I am sure that you know all about sacrifice.
I’m positive that you can think of an instance or two where you had to give up something for your child’s needs. I watched my mother make sacrifices for my sake without complaining. It is not always easy to constantly put the needs of another before your own, but being a mother is a gift. Like Mary, you were chosen to bear a human life. You were chosen to bring life into the world and raise it. There is no doubt that motherhood is difficult, but it is a privilege given unto you by God.
Can you imagine what would have happened if Mary said no to God? What would have happened if you said no to birthing your baby? Mary’s journey shows us that we must always open our doors to God and allow Him to use us for His will. Like Jesus, your child has a purpose in God.
Children, God has commanded us to value our mother’s year-round.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalms 139: 13-14 (NIV)
God is our creator.
He knows our innermost thoughts. He knows all that we do before we even think about doing it. Yes, our Heavenly Father created us, but He did so inside of our mothers. We must acknowledge the beauty in His works when designing us. We are all part of our mothers. Our looks, habits, allergies, behaviours, and so many other wonderful qualities stem from our mothers. God made sure we inherited these things from our mothers. The bottom line is, we would not be who we are without our mothers.
26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
John 19:26-27, NIV
In all that we do, we should embody Christ.
This includes the way that we treat our mothers. In this verse, Jesus is on the cross. We know the story. Jesus was beaten, humiliated, and ridiculed. He was perfect, yet He took the pain and sin of everybody who ever lived so that we could have a chance at eternal life. While on the cross, Jesus looked beyond His pain to make sure that His mother was taken care of. Jesus’ actions remind us to set priorities that honour God’s commandment to care for others. Additionally, His concern for Mary also reminds us to honour our parents, regardless of what we have going on.
Think about the women in your life who you look to for motherly advice and wisdom.
Think about your relationship with them. Do they have the qualities that God expects of women and of mothers? Do you respect them? Obey them?
Are you a mother or a motherly figure?
Do you exemplify God’s expectations of women and/or of mothers? Do you seek to fulfill His will through your actions? Are you committed to nurturing youth through kindness, compassion and love?
Yes, today is a day to honour mothers;
however, we should also use today as a reminder to ensure that our mother-child relationships are focused on Jesus. Life is so much better with God in it, so why keep Him out of one of the most importance earthly relationships we have? Take the time to show the women in your life how much they mean to you today.
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