A Prayer for Bereaved Mother’s Day – May 1

God of creation and procreation,

Glory is due Your name for the blessings of children in our time.  We confess we have not always appreciated Your gift.  And we confess we have not always acknowledged those who have not received Your gift and those who have lost Your gift.

We thank You that there is now a place in our calendar that acknowledges women who have suffered loss through infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, infant death, or the loss of a child of any age.

Especially for mothers who have not been blessed with a child, at this time at least, Father, we ask that Your peace, hope and comfort would be richly felt by them in a real way for their healing and wholeness.

For mothers who have been graced with a child subsequent to loss, we praise You, our Father, for Your provision in their lives, whilst acknowledging the losses they have suffered are not diminished in any way.  We thank You that every loss is equally significant to You, as is every life, and for a loss to be grieved is for a loss to be honoured in Your sight.

For mothers without a living child, we ask, our Father, that You make for them a place of honour for what they have suffered.  We ask, where possible, Father, to compensate them somehow by Your compassion that they could experience Your compassion such that they could give Your compassion to others, when and as they feel strong enough.  Make them esteemed ministers of compassion if that is their wish.

Finally, Father, we ask that You would help us all accept the mysteries of life that seem so cruel.  Help us to know that You feel ever more distraught than we could ever feel because of our losses.  Help us to trust You.

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Many women cannot identify with those who dearly enjoy Mother’s Day.  Their own losses, inability to conceive, and fractured relationships with their own mothers or children are but a few reasons.

It is okay if you don’t enjoy Mother’s Day.

© 2016 Steve Wickham.