I prayed and asked the Lord to please give me words to encourage mamas.

This is what I wrote in my journal:

To every mama- God sees your sacrifice, your commitment, your faithfulness, your weary mind and body. God sees how you reflect Jesus as you our out yourself for the sake of others.

Take care of yourself mama. Because we all know when mama is not well, the whole home feels it.  Caring for your needs is caring for your family. You can’t pour out what you have not allowed God to pour in.  Sit when you need to. Be refilled. Breathe deep. Do nothing when your heart becomes frazzled instead of jumping into overdrive.  Be still and rest in God’s love for you.

God delights in you for who you are, not for how many loads you folded or for clean dishes.

Mama, root yourself in God. God is the vine and you are God’s branch of love.  You provide shelter and protection. Receive God’s shelter first.

Pay attention to what your heart delights in and commit to giving yourself that love daily.

Cultivate your own soil. A depleted, dried up mama cannot water the tiny saplings around her.

MOTHERING IS THE HARDEST JOB YOU WILL EVER HAVE, SO GIVE YOURSELF GRACE.

Rest.

Be held by God’s embrace. You are loved. You are treasured.

To the mama whose heart aches for a prodigal child that has left her protective wings. God hears your cries for your child. Hold on, mama.

To the mama who can no longer hold her child because her child has passed on. God sees you. He hears your cries.  God understands your anger and your need for space. When you’re ready, He waits for you to come.

To the mama who has lost the ability to care for her kids due to an addiction, a lost custody battle, etc. God sees you and knows your ache.  He has not given up on you. Don’t give up on yourself.

To the one who longs to be a mama. To the one who longs to hold a child in her arms. God sees you. God hears your cries to be a mama. Hold on.

To the one who feels the ache of losing a mom. God sees you and your ache to be able to call her just one last time.

And to the one who does not know the loving nurture of a mama.  To the one who did not feel sheltered by an earthly mama. To the one who felt more like the mom than the child. God sees you and your struggle. God loves you.

Jesus referred to himself as a mother hen in Matthew 23:37- “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.”

Psalms 91:4, “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”