Jesus was no stranger to suffering
Coming Sunday, we celebrate Mother’s Day. I’ve shared on social media before how hard this day is for me, but I’ve never written about it here, in our Chamatkars. I’ll be doing that this week.
First, let me be clear: I am deeply grateful for my mom, mother-in-law and all the other moms in my life. They deserve to be celebrated, and I believe that matters.
That being said, for me, Mother’s Day is also a stark, annual reminder of everything I’ve lost as a mother. I only got to celebrate it once as a new, proud, happy mom before Zac fell sick and our lives changed forever.
During the years of navigating Zac’s medical condition, I rarely felt like a mom. I felt like a nurse, a caretaker, a therapist, sometimes even a doctor. I didn’t get to do “normal mom stuff.” Zac couldn’t even call me “mom.”
And now, since Zac has passed away, Mother’s Day has become one of those painfully loaded days where I wonder, “How do you celebrate Mother’s Day as a childless mother?” No one prepares you for that.Maybe you recognise yourself in my story. Or perhaps it’s not Mother’s Day that’s hard for you, but another holiday, such as Valentine’s Day, because you are single, Christmas because you don’t have family to celebrate with, or another event that triggers your pain, like a birthday, family get-together or wedding.
This week, I want to share some of the things that helped me navigate those hard days. But first and foremost, I want you to remember that Jesus was no stranger to suffering.
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces. – Isaiah 53:3 NIV
If anyone can understand what you are going through, it’s Jesus. Share your pain with Him in prayer.
