Spiritual Mothers

Vicki is my mother. She calls me up just to say hello. She likes to get together for coffee, just to chat. She even takes me out to lunch, just to spend time together. When she is working on a project, she asks for my input. She is interested in my plans and goals. When I am discouraged, she encourages me. She gives me good advice. She shares her feelings with me, too. She invites my family to her home for meals and movie nights, and my teens can’t wait to go because “it’s just like family”! She equips me spiritually. Vicki cares about me and values me. Surely you are my mother, Vicki.

Debbie is my mother. When I was going through deep struggles with some of my children, Debbie loved me, stood by me day after day, supported me, and helped me understand, from her own experience, why these kinds of things happen. She gave me hope, too, that God would never fail me, and would work all things out to His purpose and glory. You are my mother, Deb.

Julie is my mother. Just the other Sunday, I was so exhausted that I missed church service. It wasn’t long after church ended, that the phone rang, and there was Julie, just checking up to see if I was okay. She missed me! Then she came by for a little visit. I felt loved and invigorated. Thank You for your mother heart, Julie.

Oh, did I mention? All of these mothers attend Abundant Life, which is my church family. Some of these mothers are actually younger than I am, chronologically. None of them is my birth mother, though they are all very much like her, for they too are loving, mature women of God. So I assure you, each of them is my mother. And so are Pat, Penny, Sheila, Cynthia, Madeleine, Jerrlee, Ruth, Kate, and oh, so many more!

In her book, Spiritual Mothering, Susan Hunt defines a spiritual mother as a Titus 2:3-5 woman who possesses faith and spiritual maturity, and enters into a nurturing relationship with another woman, to encourage her and equip her to live for God’s glory. She challenges us with these words: “Not every woman can give biological birth, but every Christian woman can enter the high calling of spiritual reproduction and motherhood…. write your story into the fabric of another woman’s life… serve the King by nurturing His daughters.” And that, after all, is what Mother’s Day is really all about.

Date: May 2005