Mother’s Day Message for Mothers
Matthew 11:28-30
[Jesus said:] “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Reflection by Christina Villa
This is a Mother’s Day message for all mothers who just want to lie down. Mothers who don’t have nannies, babysitters, “au pairs,” housekeepers, or cleaning ladies. This is for all the mothers who don’t have “help.”
This is for the mothers driving used cars or taking the bus. The mothers whose sick days are used up by sick kids home from school. This is for mothers whose employers ask them, “Can’t you get a neighbor to watch him?” For mothers who get asked “Is there a father in the home?” at parent-teacher conferences. This is for single mothers.
This is in recognition of all the meals cooked, lunches packed, and groceries put away. The diapers changed, band-aids applied, hair combed, and clothes folded. This is for every load of laundry schlepped up the stairs or home from the laundromat. This is for every mother taking care of children and holding it all together, more or less.
In recognition of these and all other burdens carried by mothers, I’d like to suggest: sit down—or better yet, lie down—and repeat to yourself today’s scripture. Jesus won’t mind if you fall asleep and take a brief nap. I like to think that in this scripture, Jesus is saying that he knows how tired you are. And he’s saying there are times when you must put your burdens down. Put them down, and take your rest.
Prayer
Thank you for a place to put these burdens down. Amen.
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