5 Ways Mothers Are Truly a Gift From God

1. She Is a Life Co-Creator

Mothering comes in many different shapes and sizes. I have children I have carried in my own womb and had the honor of them grabbing their first breaths of life. I have children I have fostered for a time, loved them dearly, and let them go back to the homes they were made to be in. I also have children through adoption. Mothering is not a one-size-fits-all job. No matter how you come to this role, you are vital to nurturing a life. Your role is to encourage and correct as your children grow into the people they have been created to become. Your gift to them is sometimes genes, and sometimes it's being a safe place to grow past the losses that brought you into a particular home. Either way, you are a gift because you are a life-giver.

2. She Is a Teacher

We come into their world needing to learn so much. Our voices teach our kids comfort and language. When they hold and hug, our hands teach our brains how to be calm. Our routines tell our kids what comes next. Our rules show them the best ways to live in this created world. Our presence teaches them that they are loved and valued.

Mothers are the great teachers in our homes. No matter how your kids receive their "education," most of what they see as valuable comes from you. They watch you move about the world and learn from your actions. Every day is a new chance to show and tell your children about the good and beautiful things that exist on this Earth.

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3. She Is a Giver 

Mother's give. At the start, we give birth. If we can't raise our children, then we have to go through the painful choice of giving them to another to nurture and raise them on our behalf. We give up our sleep, our figures, our time, our money, our talents, our worries, our prayers, our hearts, our hopes, and our dreams. We give our whole selves to the mother's job, almost in an instant. It's a miracle, really!

Each of these gifts mothers give matter to our lives. When we give comfort, we teach compassion and care. When we give advice, we teach wisdom and knowledge. When we give up our bodies, we give life to the world. It all comes at a cost to us, yet we count it as joy to give so freely to these humans we love so profoundly.

4. She Is a Lover

The moment you meet your children, your heart grows in such a tagine way. Our lives are turned upside down when we find out that it's no longer just our story we are living, but another human relies on us for everything. A human we love with a fierce, wild, and all-consuming kind of love. That love drives all we do. Even when we don't do it right, we are doing what we think our love requires.

That love sets the stage for our children's lives. It's something they long for, draw on, and pass on when they become mothers and fathers. It teaches them about their loving creator. It grounds us when the world feels wild and rocky. We need our mother's love; she gives it as if it were breath itself. She must because she is a lover.

5. She Is Essential

Each of us needs our mothers. We need their encouragement, comfort, and care. When we are sick, we all want to be with our Moms. Something about who they are brings comfort to our souls. They are a part of us. Even the most imperfect mothers still matter to who we are. We look to our Mom's story to inform us of who we are and who we should strive to become. Moms are essential.

This Mother's Day reminds the women who have helped you know that they are a blessing. Their work is not without impact. Their gifts have not been received without gratitude. Affirm that God has made her to be yours. That they can never be replaced. They are a blessing. Mothering is a good gift from God.