Also recognizing that Mother’s Day can be a complicated one, filled with a variety of emotions and experiences. Please take a moment with this prayer and consider the women you may encounter in need of a little extra grace this year….

We pray for the woman who is lost in diapers and bottles, not sure who she is without them.

We pray for the woman who held a baby in her womb but never in her arms.

We pray for the woman working toward her dreams and dropping her kids off at daycare.

We pray for the woman wondering if a child will ever be a possibility.

We pray for the woman who is loving her child through addiction.

We pray for the woman who is battling addiction herself.

We pray for the woman who doesn’t have her own children but loves the kids in her life with a joyful intensity.

We pray for the woman who shares time with her kids and misses out on moments and experiences.

We pray for the woman raising her children alone.

We pray for the woman who never knew what it was like to have a loving mom.

We pray for the woman who has raised her children and sent them off into the world.

We pray for the women who are struggling and snuggling today. We pray for the women who are filled with sorrow and those who are overflowing with joy. We pray for the women who birthed babies and those who have experienced loss. We pray for the women in our lives who have stories we don’t know and pain we may not understand. We pray for the women we have loved and lost. We pray for the motherless and the childless. We pray for the new mom and the empty nest. We pray for all the women who have taught and loved the children around them.

We pray for happiness, health, and wholeness for all women on this special day where we honor the joy-filled struggle of motherhood.

Amen