I have served on the Council Road staff the past six months, and every Monday I sort through the prayer requests from Sunday services to bring to staff meeting where the staff prays. It is a rare week that we don’t get a request from a concerned mother asking for prayer for her struggling child. Some sign their names, others are anonymous. The situations vary, but the pain in the written words is unmistakable.
Mother’s Day is a difficult time when uncertainty and fear consume the hearts of mothers whose children have lost their way. Amidst others’ joy and celebration, pain intensifies as we long to see our children restored to God, their families and the healthy life God intends for them.
In the book Prodigals and Those Who Love Them, Ruth Bell Graham writes from her own pain as two of her five children experienced what she refers to as “spiritual wandering.” In this book, she wisely distinguishes between the possible and the impossible; the things mothers can do, and the things only God can do. How often does a mother cross a boundary out of fear and desperation and try to manipulate and force the impossible, only to make things worse for her and her child? There is great comfort and freedom for the mother who can distinguish between the two.
WHAT ONLY GOD CAN DO
Convict of sin
Create a hunger and thirst for righteousness
Convert a person spiritually
The Bible assures “He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8) and “no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). Do we believe that God will do what only He can do?
WHAT MOTHERS CAN DO
Tell your children you love them. Affirm them and reinforce good decisions.
Minister to physical and emotional needs, however appropriate and as you are able.
Pray urgently and consistently in faith, trusting God with the outcome—no matter what it is.
Ruth Bell Graham stated it well, “As a mother, I must faithfully, patiently, lovingly, and happily do my part—then quietly wait for God to do His.” There is a place in His heart for those who’ve lost their way. We must remember that God is working even when we don’t see it.
Mom, on this Mother’s Day, Satan may whisper that you’re alone and the only one trying to find her way through this dark valley. He may whisper that you’ve blown it, that you’re a bad mother, that you should have done things differently, that everything you did right to raise your child was in vain. Perhaps he’s telling you it’s too late or there’s no hope. Don’t believe the lies. As long as there is breath, there is hope.
This Mother’s Day, give yourself a gift—the gift of resting in the hope and knowledge that God, the very source of life, is present with your child. He loves them more than you ever could and is wooing them back to Himself in His best way and in His best timing. Give yourself the gift of letting go, getting out of the way and letting God accomplish the impossible. Trust His plan, trust His timing, trust His unique deliverance and trust His provision.
“God, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference.” - St. Francis of Assisi
Meet the Author!
Karen serves at the Spiritual Formation Team Coordinator for Council Road. She has been a minister’s wife for nearly 35 years and enjoys supporting and coaching Oklahoma Baptist church planting wives. An award winning blogger, Karen has a passion for encouraging women searching for hope. She and her husband Jimmy have 3 children and 2 grandsons.