a prayer for moms.

Many people would agree that Cherry Sczebel is pretty much a legend. 

She’s Mom and Nana to what seems to be an always expanding troop of trouble makers. When my brothers and I got to those fateful teenage years, mom and dad decided to restart with the younger generation of Sczebel’s. They adopted Sam, then Kayla, then JJ and now there is Kitty. Many call them crazy, but it’s okay, we do too. 

A typical day in my moms world starts way too early, and always with a coffee. Rule number 1, really the only rule you need to know... No talking to mom until she’s had her coffee. Then there is packing lunches, making breakfast, trying to feed a very feisty 1.5 yr. old. There is refereeing who is sitting beside who, did you finish your homework?  Then there is school drop offs, doctors appointments, social worker visits and meetings. Then she advocates, oh how this woman can advocate for her children! There always seems to be a problem to fix, or a situation that needs advise. She reminds us older kids on a regular basis that we’re more work then the four younger ones. Though none of us live at home currently- we often stop in for coffee or to eat their food. There is dinner prep, homework, bath, and then finally bed. 

Now except for the rule regarding her morning coffee my mom is always ‘on’, she doesn’t put the mom hat on for a couple hours everyday, it’s who she is, its what she’s devoted her life to. Everyday she wakes up, and chooses to love us, all of us. She loves like I cannot even being to imagine. 

My moms love for us, this ragtag group of people, has always been an amazing reflection of Christ’s love for us. A selfless love, a patient, forgiving love, a love that understands and never threatens. No matter how many times she’s been puked on, or yelled at, no many how many times we wander, mess up, lie, or are just plain stupid she’s there, waiting with that same forgiving love. This is a love I cannot begin understand apart from the gospel. 

Mom, I am so grateful for your humble, patient example of what it means to faithfully serve Christ and glorify him with your life. Thanks for putting up with us- and that doesn’t even begin to cover it. Thank you for loving us like Christ loves us. And faithfully pointing us to that love.

Father, I just want to thank you for days like today. Little Hallmark holidays where we can pause and draw attention to the earthly gifts you’ve given us. Today I want to thank you for all the mom’s. I’m thankful that you know each and every little detail of their lives. I know that today can bring stir up a lot of emotions and pain for some, and I pray that you would come and fill in the gaps of this prayer, meet these ladies where they are. I pray that the Holy Spirit would come and comfort the broken, and bring strength to the weak. There might be strained relationships that are going to make today really difficult. Or maybe death has robbed this day from some, leaving their it empty and painful. For some this day is filled with sticky fingers of the tiny chefs that ate their breakfast in bed. Some might be fighting for joy to see that You have a unique role for them, maybe they can’t see how perfect the plan you have for them is. 

I don’t know where everyone is at, and I can’t begin to imagine all the unique situations, but Father I’m so grateful that you know all the details, all the highs and lows of motherhood. I’m grateful that the cross speaks into every situation, with no exceptions. That through Jesus sacrifice we can come to you, nothing is too big or unknown to you. You are all the hope, all the joy, all the patience we need. 

So Father, I pray for all the moms that are in the trenches right now, dealing with miscarriages, sleepless nights, the terrible twos, the kindergarten questions, preteen angst, and newly empty nests. I pray that you would be the loudest voice in their lives, and that your scripture would be life giving to them. I pray that you would enable them to love, everyday, like how you love them. I pray that whatever change this next year will bring that their hope would be anchored in you, that they would be unshaken by what the enemy might throw at them. I pray that you would bless and encourage them and that this would be a year of them growing more like you. In your name, amen.