Reflections on Spring and on Mothering

It's always a joy to welcome the month of March. For it signals the coming season of SPRING! Beautiful, fresh spring ... a favorite of mine.

Capturing the memories of the first week of March with digital scrapbooking, and pondering the variety of roles that we as women have. The first week of March certainly was filled with variety for me as a woman. We are the ones whom God created to come alongside man, to complement man, to be life-givers, to be nurturers. To be a reflection of the very character of God, made in His image.

For 35 years I was a blessed mother with children in our home ... six children spread out with seventeen years between the oldest and the youngest. And now that I am in the "empty nest" season of life, the life-giving, and the nurturing continues. And I am blessed. It is who we are as women ... for our God, in whose image we are made, is a giver of life, loving and caring, and always desiring for His children to experience all that they are made for. 

Whether we are married or single, mothers of birth children or adopted children, or with opportunities to mother and care for others in our lives, and also with a wide variety of situations at home or in the workplace where we can infuse life and creativity ... we are blessed to be women. Made in God's image, to reflect His love and life to those around us.

Even my first week of March captures the many facets of this life as a woman.

*giving care to my 93 year-old father (it seems that my role with him has changed to mothering him during this season of life he is in now with many and multiple needs), 

*caring for a sweet granddaughter (giving Carrie a day to use as she wished and having "grama" time with sweet two year-old Eva), 

*helping Amy out with a need for her children (and time with Levi and Ali after school one day), 

*a freezer meal day last Saturday with Sara (as we prepared freezer meals together for Amy who anticipates being a kidney donor soon) and her two boys (Jake & Cole had fun helping us in the kitchen), 

*being a companion and encourager for my sweet hubby as we live life together and serve together in Cru ministry, 

*building into the lives of our part-time Cru staff couple as we hosted them for a meal and meeting,

*gathering for prayer with other Cru staff (encouraging each other and praying for each other),

*meeting with our CityGroup over a pizza meal out together as we shared and prayed for each other,

*and multiple other opportunities - phone calls with other family members, and more ...

I admit sometimes I am overwhelmed with the fullness of life. Though "empty nest", it is a "full life". Sometimes it feels almost too full, but then I am reminded that I am so very blessed by this full life with all the opportunities to love and nurture, to reflect His Love. And I am thankful. So blessed to be a woman, made to reflect God's character and love to those around me.  

Pausing to reflect and to give thanks.

And thinking of you, too, as you share His love

as a woman with those around you.

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For more posts on this topic:
FOREVER CLOSE: The Heart of a Mother