The Gift of Motherhood

even if it's in a non-traditional way

“Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?”
—Isaiah 49:15 (NLT)

There is a tree in Charleston, South Carolina, called the Angel Oak. Its branches are so wide and old that they seem to hover over the earth like open arms. I keep a photograph of it on my writing desk to focus on while I’m working, because it plays a large role in the novel I’m writing. But taped on top of that image is Eliza.

Recently, my husband and I chose to sponsor Eliza and support her through her 18th year. So, I will have a connection with her for many years to come.

Today is July 6th. It is the day I gave birth to the greatest gift God has ever given me. The privilege of being a mother is not something I’ve ever taken lightly. It was not an easy path for me. But when Anna was here and healthy and I was able to spend years nurturing and loving her, showering her with my attention and constantly finding new and creative ways to fill her life with excitement and joy, I was delighted. I felt like God had poured out favor on me. I suppose He had.

My daughter is grown now and has a family of her own. But this day still holds so much tenderness and gratitude for me that I couldn’t restrain the legacy of that love. Because of that, Eliza is sponsored.

Eliza’s picture taped to the Angel Oak reminds me that although she may not share my DNA, she is part of my family, God’s family.

I needed to give. And she needed to be loved, not in my arms, but through prayer and cheerful little cards in the mail, education, clean clothes, and fresh water. This is how I can share my mother’s heart now. I may not have borne Eliza, but she is precious to Jesus. And she’s a gift to me, too.

Is there a way God asks you to love from a distance, with the same tenderness and trust? If there is, I pray that he reveals it to you today. Blessings, Kelly