Is Motherhood a Sacred Calling?

This article reflects years of personal and theological reflection. I learned after I wrote it that my editor is expecting her first baby soon! I hope you enjoy it.

Excerpt: "God has given us a special role as mothers. We have the ability to bring new life into the world through our very bodies. I find it hard to believe that my body knows how to make a fingernail or a kidney, but through the Lord’s grace, it does! We can partner with the Creator through this role. It’s a privilege that demands bodily sacrifice as we grow life, but the result is completely awe-inspiring! As a first-time parent, I remember feeling especially amazed and also terrified because a life was now mine and my husband’s responsibility! Reading parenting books and taking classes still did not equip us for the moment when it was time to leave the hospital and the weight of those emotions.

That moment of holy awe, sprinkled with a bit of holy trembling, is exactly where God wants us as parents to be. He wants us to come to him. He wants to partner with us beyond just the creation of life but in raising life, too. God has the guidebook—the Bible. He can speak to your heart when you don’t know what to do. He can supply the necessary strength to be strong for your child or children when you feel like you can’t get up and are tested beyond what you ever imagined. That’s why motherhood, and parenthood in general, is a sacred calling: It’s an invitation to draw closer to God and learn, just as you raise and teach another."

To read the full article, click here and find it on Crosswalk. 

If you missed the motherhood devotion last week, click here to read it. 

Thanks for reading, everyone!