Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder
May 9, 2022
This Week's Anchor
“The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.’”
Luke 1: 28-31
This week began with the celebration of a beloved holiday in the US, Mother’s Day. It’s a time of year when we honor the love, protection, support, and sacrifices of mothers and maternal figures in our lives, past and present. For some, this holiday invites warm moments and tender gifts. For others, it can understandably be challenging to bear. Regardless of how you wade through this holiday, I think each of us finds ourselves at some moment in our lives reflecting on the impact that our maternal figures have had. Whether from a mother, aunt, grandmother, teacher, mentor, sibling, neighbor, or friend, most of us can speak to the power of maternal love, and the significance it has on our lives and our world. What better story to illustrate this kind of love than that of Mary, the mother of Jesus?
Our anchor scripture this week takes us to the moment that Mary learned she would conceive the Son of God. In this scripture, Mary is greeted by an angel who sends word of the expected birth of a son that she would call Jesus. Many of us are familiar with this story. As a virgin, Mary becoming with child was nothing short of a miracle, and understandably caused her a great deal of concern regarding how others, including her husband Joseph, would receive and perceive this news. And yet, as we make our way through the Bible, moment to moment, we see Mary lean into trusting God in her pregnancy process and providing us with some valuable lessons on motherhood.
What We Can Learn from Mary about Motherhood
Mothers and maternal figures are human—I think many of us can agree that as we age, we begin to see the humanity of our parents more clearly and recognize how incredibly humbling it is to care for others. Having responsibility for another human is terrifying and exhausting. Whether that human is your child, guardian, grandchild, mentee, friend/peer, or other relatives, this kind of responsibility comes with many emotions and feelings, including fear, sadness, happiness, joy, pride, and protectiveness. Mary wasn’t excluded from the impact of mothering. In fact, at the moment when she discovered she would conceive Jesus, she was rightfully confused and fearful (Luke 1:26-38), and throughout parenting, she experienced anxiety as she raised Jesus (Luke 2:48). Mary’s illustration of her own humanness in motherhood teaches us many truths about this process: Motherhood is a journey (a challenging one at times); as mothers and maternal figures we will make mistakes along the way; we often won’t be able to figure it all out on our own; and perfection isn’t the goal. Our maternal love for those we care for acts as a driving force in helping us wade through all these emotions and feelings.
The importance of remaining grounded in relationship with God—Not long after Mary became pregnant, she offered a beautiful song of prayer to God (Luke 1:46-55):
46 “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
As mothers and maternal figures, we can follow Mary’s example by remaining deeply connected to God through prayer and song, and by consistently inviting His presence into our lives. God’s love is the foundation for maternal love—Mary knew this just as much as our own mothers, maternal figures and ancestors have known. When we connect to God, we connect to a powerful source that provides supernatural courage and strength to navigate all the challenges that come along with caring for others.
To trust God with each moment—Although Mary was human and experienced a complex combination of emotions throughout motherhood, she didn’t avoid the situations that brought fear, anxiety, and confusion but instead approached them with great trust in God. Mary was confident in the power of God’s presence and stood strong in knowing the Holy Trinity would accompany her through the entire journey, and she was able to remain anchored in this confidence by navigating the process of motherhood moment by moment. If we consider all the things that present harm and danger to our children and loved ones, we would be consistently overwhelmed. We are often called to take the journey of caring for our children and loved ones one step at a time, allowing God to help us tackle small battles on our journeys to winning the war.
To hold close to Divine Purpose and Wisdom—How painful it is to watch our children or those whom we love and support struggle. I can only imagine how challenging it was for Mary to watch Jesus suffer. Mary witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion at the foot of the Cross and suffered alongside him (John 19:25-27). Since she knew she would conceive, Mary was aware of Jesus’ calling and throughout the process of motherhood, she had the wisdom to keep perspective when things didn’t make sense to her (Luke 2:48-52). Although we can’t know exactly what Mary thought and felt in the moments following Jesus’ death, given the wisdom she displayed throughout her parenting journey, I imagine that somewhere deep within herself she knew the purpose beyond the Cross and that remembering this purpose would sustain her. Many of us can reflect on our lineage and imagine how difficult it was for our ancestors to navigate motherhood and maternal care under the conditions they endured. The stories and hymns that anchored our ancestors carried meaning that often reminded them of a purpose beyond their suffering, and we, too, can be rooted in the same.
The value of community—When Mary learned that she would conceive Jesus, she sought the support of community by visiting her cousin, Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45). Elizabeth’s encouragement inspired and sustained Mary in a space where she felt greatly troubled (Luke 1:29). It was after Mary’s conversation with Elizabeth that she gave the song of prayer mentioned above, illustrating the influence this communion had on Mary at this moment. We see the significance of fellowship throughout Mary’s journey of motherhood. Not long after Jesus was born, He and His family were surrounded by a community of shepherds (Luke 2:15-20) and if we fast-forward to the final mention of Mary in the Bible, we see Mary in community of prayer with the apostles, “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” (Acts 1:14). One author stated it well, “they say that it takes a village to raise a child. I say that it takes a village to raise a mother, and I’m grateful that Mother Mary is in my metaphorical neighborhood, providing me inspiration, guidance, and wisdom, one prayer at a time.”
As we continue this week reflecting on the gifts that mothers and maternal figures have bestowed on us, we can hold the wisdom and strength they’ve embodied close to our hearts. Whether you’re a mother/maternal figure or not, this maternal wisdom is meaningful to our lives and relevant beyond motherhood. In remembering the love and stories of generations of mothers in our lives, we can connect with great gratitude for everything they overcame to inspire, uplift, and promote our families and communities, and for the ways their love empowers us to do the same.
Reflection
What is resonating for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
How have you been inspired by mothers and/or maternal figures in your life? Of this, what do you want to carry with you?
What intention(s) do you want to set to connect and/or reconnect with being grounded this week?
Related Scriptures to Ground You Through this Week
Proverbs 31
Isaiah 66:13
Luke 1:46-55
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Titus 2:3-5
1 Peter 4:8
My Through-the-Week Reflection Guide
A Song of Inspiration
Quote of Love & Liberation
“You know, as I get older, personal happiness is all about love. It’s all about love. You know, how I’m loved and how I love my family and my husband. That to me is happiness, when I feel like I am loved and I have a place to love deeply. That to me is happiness.”
Jada Pinkett-Smith
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