If you look around our churches, the images of motherhood you will find are really quite
beautiful. The most common ones you will see are of Mary and Jesus. Typically, Jesus
is either peacefully sleeping in his little manager or calmly sitting on Mary’s
knee gently smiling and both of them with beautiful halos around their
heads. It’s such a peaceful scene…
beautiful. The most common ones you will see are of Mary and Jesus. Typically, Jesus
is either peacefully sleeping in his little manager or calmly sitting on Mary’s
knee gently smiling and both of them with beautiful halos around their
heads. It’s such a peaceful scene…
…It
makes me wonder where I’m going wrong.
makes me wonder where I’m going wrong.
Because one thing I can tell you for certain is that peace, gently holy smiles and halos
definitely don’t figure in our house.
definitely don’t figure in our house.
In fact, if I’m
completely honest with you, there are some days when I could quite cheerfully
strangle my little cherub. Days when he’s pushed every single button
I’ve got…and then found a few more that I didn’t even know I had. There are days
when I finally lose my temper and shout
at him. And then as his little face
crumples, tears pour down his cheeks and he bursts into heartbroken wails
because mummy is angry….my heart just melts and I feel so guilty. I crouch down,
sweep him into my arms and sign and say, “Adam, I’m sorry, Mummy was wrong. Mummy loves you.”
completely honest with you, there are some days when I could quite cheerfully
strangle my little cherub. Days when he’s pushed every single button
I’ve got…and then found a few more that I didn’t even know I had. There are days
when I finally lose my temper and shout
at him. And then as his little face
crumples, tears pour down his cheeks and he bursts into heartbroken wails
because mummy is angry….my heart just melts and I feel so guilty. I crouch down,
sweep him into my arms and sign and say, “Adam, I’m sorry, Mummy was wrong. Mummy loves you.”
Many of you
will know that my son is disabled. Hearing impaired, visually impaired, autistic, asthmatic, developmentally delayed and with severe behavioural issues. Some
of you will know that my first ever mother’s day was spent in neonatal
intensive care, sitting beside my son’s incubator, still not knowing whether he
would live or die. To say that motherhood hasn’t been straightforward for me
would be an understatement.
will know that my son is disabled. Hearing impaired, visually impaired, autistic, asthmatic, developmentally delayed and with severe behavioural issues. Some
of you will know that my first ever mother’s day was spent in neonatal
intensive care, sitting beside my son’s incubator, still not knowing whether he
would live or die. To say that motherhood hasn’t been straightforward for me
would be an understatement.
For me,
motherhood is defined by two key words:
Promise and Potential. You see,
no matter how difficult some of our days together may be, I Promise to
extend absolutely unconditional love to my son.
It doesn’t matter how much extra care he may need, how many mistakes he
may make or how long he will depend on me, my promise to love him is written in
my heart and wrapped around every fibre of my being.
motherhood is defined by two key words:
Promise and Potential. You see,
no matter how difficult some of our days together may be, I Promise to
extend absolutely unconditional love to my son.
It doesn’t matter how much extra care he may need, how many mistakes he
may make or how long he will depend on me, my promise to love him is written in
my heart and wrapped around every fibre of my being.
Then there is
the other word – Potential. Having a child with additional needs means
that my language and expectations have changed.
I don’t necessarily dream of my son going to university or getting a
fabulous job, I dream about my son being able to hold a conversation with me, or
being able to cope with life without screaming, thrashing meltdowns. No one really knows what potential my son may
have, but one psychologist recently told me that he will only ever reach one
quarter of his expected developmental age. If he’s right, then that means that when my son is 40, he will have a developmental age of 10.
the other word – Potential. Having a child with additional needs means
that my language and expectations have changed.
I don’t necessarily dream of my son going to university or getting a
fabulous job, I dream about my son being able to hold a conversation with me, or
being able to cope with life without screaming, thrashing meltdowns. No one really knows what potential my son may
have, but one psychologist recently told me that he will only ever reach one
quarter of his expected developmental age. If he’s right, then that means that when my son is 40, he will have a developmental age of 10.
Promise: I will love my son, no matter what.
Potential: Who will my son become? How will he develop?
In our Old
Testament reading today, we hear about another story about Promise: “I will make with you an everlasting
covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”
Covenant is another word for promise but it is one that is greater,
stronger, and goes deeper. A covenant
lasts forever. This passage is talking
about King David, the man whom Jewish history has long since regarded as one of
the greatest kings ever to reign in ancient Israel. History looks back at the story of David’s
life and sees his success, his legacy.
But there were many times along the way when it seemed as though David
would never really amount to anything.
From humble beginnings, he made many mistakes. But for this reason, the story of David’s
life is also bound up with potential. If
you had seen where David’s life began, you could never have imagined where it
would end.
Testament reading today, we hear about another story about Promise: “I will make with you an everlasting
covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”
Covenant is another word for promise but it is one that is greater,
stronger, and goes deeper. A covenant
lasts forever. This passage is talking
about King David, the man whom Jewish history has long since regarded as one of
the greatest kings ever to reign in ancient Israel. History looks back at the story of David’s
life and sees his success, his legacy.
But there were many times along the way when it seemed as though David
would never really amount to anything.
From humble beginnings, he made many mistakes. But for this reason, the story of David’s
life is also bound up with potential. If
you had seen where David’s life began, you could never have imagined where it
would end.
You see, David
wasn’t born in a palace, far from it. David
was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse and they lived in the humble town of
Bethlehem. It was his job to tend the
family sheep and tending sheep was reserved for the LEAST esteemed member of
the family or the servant with the LOWEST status. Sheep are smelly; they’re not particularly
bright and there is absolutely nothing glamorous about taking care of them.
wasn’t born in a palace, far from it. David
was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse and they lived in the humble town of
Bethlehem. It was his job to tend the
family sheep and tending sheep was reserved for the LEAST esteemed member of
the family or the servant with the LOWEST status. Sheep are smelly; they’re not particularly
bright and there is absolutely nothing glamorous about taking care of them.
But, just as a
mother who sees her child and loves them unconditionally, God looked at David
and saw Potential. The mothering
side of God said, “it doesn’t matter where you are now son, what matters
is where you will be.” So one day, God
speaks to the prophet Samuel and tells him to follow his directions to find and
anoint the new king of Israel…and God leads Samuel directly to David…the least
likely king in history.
mother who sees her child and loves them unconditionally, God looked at David
and saw Potential. The mothering
side of God said, “it doesn’t matter where you are now son, what matters
is where you will be.” So one day, God
speaks to the prophet Samuel and tells him to follow his directions to find and
anoint the new king of Israel…and God leads Samuel directly to David…the least
likely king in history.
Throughout his
life, David experienced some incredible highs – he fought the giant Goliath and
singlehandedly saved the Israelite army, he reconquered Jerusalem and he led
the Ark of the Covenant into the city.
But David also experienced some incredible lows, he spent years hiding
and running for his life. He was determined
to have Bathsheba as his wife, no matter what the cost – so he murdered her
husband.
life, David experienced some incredible highs – he fought the giant Goliath and
singlehandedly saved the Israelite army, he reconquered Jerusalem and he led
the Ark of the Covenant into the city.
But David also experienced some incredible lows, he spent years hiding
and running for his life. He was determined
to have Bathsheba as his wife, no matter what the cost – so he murdered her
husband.
If God really
can be described as a mother, then there must have been times she put her head
in her hands and sighed, “OH David! WHAT
have you gone and done NOW?” But, God
loved her son and God had made a promise – an everlasting covenant of sure and
certain love for David. And, like any
good mother confronted with a child who has gotten themselves into a monumental
scrape, God still saw the potential in David.
In the end, David remained king over Israel until his death at the age
of seventy and he ruled for forty years.
Out of the 150 Psalms in the Bible, 77 are either written by him or
dedicated to him. And through it all,
God stayed by his side, as committed as a mother is to her child.
can be described as a mother, then there must have been times she put her head
in her hands and sighed, “OH David! WHAT
have you gone and done NOW?” But, God
loved her son and God had made a promise – an everlasting covenant of sure and
certain love for David. And, like any
good mother confronted with a child who has gotten themselves into a monumental
scrape, God still saw the potential in David.
In the end, David remained king over Israel until his death at the age
of seventy and he ruled for forty years.
Out of the 150 Psalms in the Bible, 77 are either written by him or
dedicated to him. And through it all,
God stayed by his side, as committed as a mother is to her child.
So, you’ve
heard part of my story. You’ve also
heard part of David’s story. I wonder –
what is your story? What do you bring
with you this morning? For you, is
Mothering Sunday a straightforward celebration of being a mother, of having a
good mother? If so, I wonder if you can
see the echoes of a mother’s unconditional love in the way God cared for her
son, David. Perhaps, your story, like
mine, may be a touch more complex – perhaps your experiences with the idea and
reality of motherhood are joined together with pain. Perhaps your story may include the pain of a
human mother whose love was flawed and left you with scars. Perhaps your story may include the desire to
mother, but this remains an unrealised dream and so today, brings the pain of
disappointment. Perhaps you have held a
child in your arms…and perhaps you’ve also said goodbye and so today awakens
grief. Perhaps your own mother is now
held in God’s arms and so you are here to remember and pay tribute.
heard part of my story. You’ve also
heard part of David’s story. I wonder –
what is your story? What do you bring
with you this morning? For you, is
Mothering Sunday a straightforward celebration of being a mother, of having a
good mother? If so, I wonder if you can
see the echoes of a mother’s unconditional love in the way God cared for her
son, David. Perhaps, your story, like
mine, may be a touch more complex – perhaps your experiences with the idea and
reality of motherhood are joined together with pain. Perhaps your story may include the pain of a
human mother whose love was flawed and left you with scars. Perhaps your story may include the desire to
mother, but this remains an unrealised dream and so today, brings the pain of
disappointment. Perhaps you have held a
child in your arms…and perhaps you’ve also said goodbye and so today awakens
grief. Perhaps your own mother is now
held in God’s arms and so you are here to remember and pay tribute.
No matter what
your story is today, I hope you can see in David’s story a description of love,
and of promise. I hope you can see a God
who loves all of her children…including you and a God who cares about the joys
as much as the hurts and seeks to hold them in her loving arms. Mothering Sunday can be a very complex one
for many people but no matter what your story holds, I pray you may be able to
consider another element of our bible reading this morning:
your story is today, I hope you can see in David’s story a description of love,
and of promise. I hope you can see a God
who loves all of her children…including you and a God who cares about the joys
as much as the hurts and seeks to hold them in her loving arms. Mothering Sunday can be a very complex one
for many people but no matter what your story holds, I pray you may be able to
consider another element of our bible reading this morning:
“Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the
waters, and you that have no money, come buy and eat. Come buy wine and milk without money and
without price.” This verse describes an incredible love and
an incredible promise that is extended to all of. You cannot buy God’s love, because it is
available free of charge. You cannot
overuse God’s love because it has no limit.
God the mother sees the potential in every single one of you. God the mother holds your story in her
arms. And God the mother promises an
everlasting love…to you.
waters, and you that have no money, come buy and eat. Come buy wine and milk without money and
without price.” This verse describes an incredible love and
an incredible promise that is extended to all of. You cannot buy God’s love, because it is
available free of charge. You cannot
overuse God’s love because it has no limit.
God the mother sees the potential in every single one of you. God the mother holds your story in her
arms. And God the mother promises an
everlasting love…to you.
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So today, whether
you are here to give thanks for human mothering, or whether you need to cling
to God’s mothering, let us join together in and offer a prayer for mothers
everywhere. Amen.
you are here to give thanks for human mothering, or whether you need to cling
to God’s mothering, let us join together in and offer a prayer for mothers
everywhere. Amen.
Life In Holland 