God, the Mother?

Today in church, our pastor compared the love of God to the love of a mother. I've never looked at it that way before. There is so much talk of God the Father and He is usually seen more as a father figure but when you stop and think about it, He definitely has properties of both. For me though, I have a greater understanding of his love when I think of Him as a mother. He is the giver of life and nurtures as as we grow. He is always watching and always right there when we need him or when we get hurt. He carries us when we fall. He knows our needs and wants but yet balances those things with lessons we might need to learn. There's even that control freak side that all mothers have! We may not like it, but God's in charge - just like mom always was! And you know what? I'm thankful for that. Because just like my mom, no matter how much I mess up, God's always there to clean up my messes, pick me back up and put me right back on track.

Today is also Mother's Day. On this day I typically reflect back on times I had with my own mother or grandmothers. Of course, today is no different in that respect but I'm putting more emphasis this year on my own role as a mother. I feel extremely humbled to have been given the amazing experience of motherhood. Not only because my children are the greatest gifts I've ever been given but also because I have learned so much about God by being a mother. Motherhood has given me such a deep understanding of how God cares for me that I don't doubt His love even for a minute. Even when I blatantly disobey His desire for my life, I realize that He's still there and still ready to scoop me up and hold me when I fall. He understands that sometimes the only way I learn is by doing it my way and as much as it pains him while I'm being defiant, He knows that I'll eventually figure out just why it was He gave me that restriction in the first place.

As children and teens, we often feel our parents don't understand us or that their rules are stupid. Then we grow up, make a few mistakes of our own, and decide Mom and Dad weren't so out of touch after all. We realize just how much they loved us and just what sacrifces they made for us. In my Christian walk, I'm still very much a child but I grow a little bit every day. And with each growth spurt I begin to see God much more clearly. I'm not sure if I'll ever reach adulthood but I'm glad that the revelation of God's love becomes more and more apparent with time. So many churches try to scare one into accepting Christ but the key is not scare tactic, it's love. God really does love us just like our mothers love us but on an infinitely deeper level. I'm so glad I belong to a church who loves people to Christ. I'm so glad I have a Mother God. He is the ultimate parent for sure.