A Mother’s Love
Celebrating Mother’s Day
“There is an instinct in a woman to love most her own child; and an instinct to make any child who needs her love, her own.” Robert Brault
Innately unconditional and unrestrained is the love of a mother toward her child. We run to our mom when we have pain because we know she will provide comfort. We rely on our mom when we are hungry because we know she will provide nourishment. We look to our mom when we feel uncertain because we know she will provide wisdom. All of these things are reflective of our Heavenly Father—his unconditional and unrestrained love toward us.
The heartbreaking truth is that many children do not receive this loving nurture. While a mother’s love toward her child is innate, expressions of love must be taught by example. In families where loving nurture is absent, we see that hurt people hurt people. This vicious cycle is evident in foster care when we look into the faces of broken mothers and hurting children.
The hopeful truth is that the cycle can end. We have the incredible opportunity to step into brokenness and bring the beauty of the Gospel. When we are willing to say yes to orphan care, hurting children are able to experience the Father’s unconditional and unrestrained love. But it is not without risk. We love with the risk of grief. We give with the risk of loss. We serve with the risk of pain, and it is all worth it. “Foster care is risky. Adoption is risky. Love itself is always risky” (Johnny Carr, Orphan Justice)
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan issued the first presidential proclamation that established May as National Foster Care Month. Yearly, this month is set apart to recognize those who stand in the gap for the 400,000 children in U.S. foster care. In honor of this holiday and Mothers’ Day, THANK YOU, foster moms, for taking the risk every day to love those who need it most. In the words of Andy Stanley, “Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do but someone you raise.”
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