5-5-2024
Yesterday was Feliz Día Mamá, Guatemalan Mother’s Day. It was also our last day of ministry at the Itzapa school. For our last day, my team and I had the privilege of wearing traditional Guatemalan wear and being “moms” for the kids who’s moms couldn’t come.
I had two children, and went around all the stations which included them making nachos, harvesting radishes, and making terrariums. It was sweet, as motherhood is.
It did teach me that, even though it’s sweet to have your kids make you nachos, that’s not really how motherhood goes.
Being a mother is hard, and since I obviously don’t have any kids of my own, I really don’t know the first thing about it. But here’s a few things I’ve learned about it, especially these past 9 months.
Motherhood in Guatemala is not taken lightly. As a mother you have to die to your own flesh daily, as Jesus has asked us to do, and decide that you are going to love your child well and provide for them. You don’t really have to. You could just leave them to fend for themselves, but when you love someone, it’s hard to just turn away and leave them in a ditch simply because you want to give up.
My own mother probably wanted to give up many times, but she didn’t. Even though I didn’t make her nachos, or make things easy for her, she still chose the hard way.
In the same way, Jesus doesn’t have to love us, but He does. Unconditionally, everyday, and we have that same choice to love Him everyday and serve Him with our whole lives. We definitely make mistakes and mess up, making things hard and difficult for ourselves, but He still chooses to love us even when we don’t always choose it back.
So as this Mother’s Day approaches in the US, think about how your own mother loved you, and how you can love her well.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” -John 15:12
Blessings in Christ,
Gracie Yoder
