This past year, I spent a total of 6 months serving in my church’s nursery. I have been carrying babies around, feeding the kiddos, changing their diapers, playing with trucks, and listening to coco-melon sing baby shark over and over. I love it! (I love it so much that my husband and I decided to get pregnant and have a baby of our own) 😀

Beyond the scope of caring for the babies, I have also witnessed another area we may have neglected to see or even know existed. I have seen so many moms come in and out, dropping off their kids, having to stay with their child, or having to check in on their baby every so often. I have begun to wonder if the loneliness that comes with feeling like a mom has to figure it out on her own can become too much to bear.

Regardless of the situation, I want to say I see you, mama, and I am right there with you.

I just want to say…

To the mom who struggles to leave her baby in the nursery for just a little while… I see you, and I am right there with you.

To the mom who struggles to sit in the chapel and receive God’s work because your child needs you… so you end up spending every Sunday in the nursery, watching your little one play… I see you, and I am right there with you.

To the future mom who is a mother-figure to so many children but wishes one of your own… I see you, and I am right there with you.

To the mom who feels lost in her child’s life and cannot find her own self anymore… I see you, and I am right there with you.

To the mom that cannot find peace to leave or not leave your child in the nursery… I see you, and I am right there with you.

As a mother, responsibilities to your children never end. Your children require love and care consistently and constantly. I cannot begin to imagine how exhausting it can become. The expectation that when a child needs something and only the mom can be the one to provide it is just too much. So what if we did not have to live this way? What if we do not have to bend our mothers until they break? What if we can provide our mothers with the grace and love required in order for our mothers to thrive as a mother and to thrive as part of our church community?

So Church, as we continue to love our people, let’s extend kindness and grace as appropriate. For the mother who needs to be with her child, give her the freedom to leave without the guilt of missing service. For the mother who is constantly holding her crying baby in the back of the chapel, offer a hand or acknowledge her and let her know you’re standing with her. Let’s be that support system for the mother who may not have a strong support system around her.

When we can surround our mothers with the encouragement and the support they need, we allow them to experience God’s goodness and will enable them to cultivate their identity in Christ. This is a beautiful thing for mothers and their little babies. Caring for children has never and should never solely by the mother’s job. It’s been wonderful and encouraging to see my husband in the nursery with me. I think it’s also been amazing for the kids to see a male figure in the nursery too! The kids absolutely adore him! It truly takes a village to raise a child and love and support a mother.

In a few months, I will be given the privilege to become a mother myself. I hope to have a group of believers surrounding me as I navigate these uncharted waters when I step into this new season. Thank you to all the mothers who have given me the honor to love your children! I hope we can continue to facilitate an environment that will allow our mothers to grow, have a sense of self, and know that their identity is not defined by their roles but by the One who created them.

Love,

R