The Unlikely Mother

I thought I would re-post this in honor of the upcoming Mother's Day.
From 05/08/10:

Mother's day has always been an odd day for me. I was once grateful that I did not have to feel obligated to pay respect to someone with whom I would never have respect. As an adult, I would stay away from church on Mother's Day as it seemed to be a reminder of what I thought I did not have, and worse yet, what I thought I would never become.

About a month ago I was asked to write a poem about mothers to recite at church on Mother's Day. I stared blankly into the face of someone whom I thought, quite frankly, had lost her ever loving mind. I wanted to turn her down on the spot, but she said she really thought the Lord wanted her to ask me. How do you put the brakes on that one? I said I would think about it, and eventually I agreed to do it.

When I began to think about Mother's Day and what it was and was not to me, I realized I was not the only one who at one time or another painfully endured the hoopla placed around mothers on the day the USA calls Mother's Day. I looked to Isaiah 54, my most cherished passage of scripture, and all I can say from here is girlfriend, if you think you do not have a mother look around you, look at your past and how you got where you are today; and, if you think you are not a mother, think again.

The Unlikely Mother

She stands alone with none to call her own

barren, unmarried, or her moment has passed on

whatever the case, she is crowned with grace

for Isaiah says many will fill her empty place.

She always opens her door to just one more

if there is nowhere else, they can sleep on the floor

her words are as strong as the confidence she carries

not for a moment being thought of as just ordinary

she is a wisdom provider, a mercy giver, a Christ lover

she is blessed among women, she is the unlikely mother.

She may not have given birth to her child

but she will stand in the gap to keep them undefiled

she cradles her children with unconditional love

because her heart understands they were sent from above

she is a Truth seeker, a Word speaker, a secret keeper

maybe even a cover

but above all else, she is the unlikely mother.

She has enriched my own life

so I will reach out to another

and embrace the responsibilities

of the unlikely mother.

Today I am thankful for the mothers I have had through the years. I am most thankful for the woman who adopted me as an adult...after years of being forgotten by fosters and such, she loved me enough to call me her own. I only pray I can live up to the standards I've been shown.