In Anticipation of Mother's Day...

...what a beautiful bulletin announcement from my friend, Pr. Jeffrey Ries:

Mother's Day is this Sunday. The following is what my congregation (Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tacoma) places in our service bulletin for that day. I was asked about it and thought perhaps others might benefit or want to make use of it in their own church bulletins. I did not write this and cannot recall from where I got it except that it was found online somewhere a few years back:

On Mothers’ Day . . .
+To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you
+To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you
+To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you
+To those who experienced loss this year through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you
+To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.
+To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you
+To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you
+To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we both lament and hope with you
+To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you
+To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we pray with you for healing
+To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst
+To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you
+And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising –we anticipate with you

This Mother’s Day, we walk with all of you. Together rejoicing in the joys of this life, sorrowing in the trials, trusting in the mercy of Christ, and hoping in the resurrection to come upon His return.