“This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
– Psalms 118:24

 
Anxious adoptive mother-in-waiting at home on Mother's DayMother’s Day. It is a beautiful day for some mothers-in-waiting, filled with hope for the future. For others, it is a reminder of the blessings they are still seeking.
 
When I was adopting, I dreaded the week leading up to Mother’s Day every single year. It reminded me of my losses and my failures. I couldn’t find joy, not even in the celebration of my own mother. At church, I felt I was the only one without a child, without a corsage, and without knowing when or if I was ever going to be a mother.
 
What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was already a mother. God just had not yet led me to my son, the perfect child He had for me.
 
Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate our own mothers and to celebrate the blessing of motherhood. Like every other day, it is a beautiful day that the Lord has made, only asking that we rejoice and be glad in the blessings He has provided. If your heart is aching, it can be hard to fulfill His request.
 
Consider a few ways to rejoice in Mother’s Day as a mother-in-waiting:

  • Take a quick trip out of town to somewhere you’ve never been.
  • Go for a hike, to the beach, or some other place where you can spend time together in God’s creation.
  • Buy yourself something frivolous, something a “mom” would never indulge in!
  • Celebrate with someone you know who has lost their daughter or mother. Remember, Mother’s Day can be difficult for those with losses.
  • Plan a Mother’s Day brunch for the women in your family.
  • Take single carnations to the local hospital or retirement facility to share with women who may not have anyone to celebrate with.

One lesson I’ve learned time and again, is that in my life, my own pain becomes less when I reach out in service to others or take time to care for myself. So, on this Mother’s Day, my prayer is that you celebrate the beautiful spring day that the Lord has made, rejoicing in the blessings He has provided.
 

Dear Lord,
 
Today I pray for patience, for the timing is yours for our adoption. I pray for wisdom and guidance on what to do and when to do it and to accept that you have my adoption all planned out already. I pray for our child and our birth mother. Provide special protection around them. You know where they are and what they need. I trust you and place my fears at your feet.
 
Please provide comfort in my time of waiting.
 
In His Name, Amen.


 
On this day, as always, you are in my prayers as a mother-in-waiting,
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