Motherhood Is Not Oppression: Feb 27, 2021

I was standing in line at the post office about a year ago and I could feel the presence of the woman behind me. We had locked eyes a couple times and swapped smiles. I didn’t know what the attraction was but I could feel it. She soon tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Would you pray for me?” I was delighted by her request and I said, “We’re sisters, aren’t we?” With kind eyes, she simply said, “Yes we are.”

Her name was Sara. She had a beautiful accent and told me she was from Kenya, she had been here in the US for 4 years. When I asked her what we could pray about, she said she didn’t want to project the bitterness she felt from being a single mother onto her son. Wow. What a sincere cry from the heart and one God knew I could deeply relate to.

Motherhood is not oppression.

I feel like someone needs to hear this today. Motherhood isn’t always easy. Matter of fact, it may be one of the hardest things we ever do, but it’s not oppression. I had children in the best of circumstances and in the worst. And I remember the loneliness and frustration of parenting alone during my single mom years. It’s real. But it’s so important we don’t count the sacrifice and difficulty as something that’s holding us back from a better future.

God, in His infinite wisdom, seen fit to make you a mother. And as a mother of 6, I often feel spread so thin, I silently pray for grace to get through the moment. But in His sovereignty, considering all the other incredible plans He has for you, saw fit for motherhood to be your best training ground or environment to learn and grow into all the other beautiful things He has for your life.

If you’re raising a child alone, I honor you. Right here and now, I bow my head and lift you up because I know this isn’t how you expected or hoped it would be. But I also want to remind you, you’re not alone. God is with you, and far closer than He seems most days. Those children of yours are a gift. So as you’re tucking them in tonight after dinner, baths and homework, look at them and remember, you can’t reach your destiny without them. You are blessed and endowed with everything you need for the journey. And even the hardest days are all part of the process.

Author: Stephanie Jackson

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