No Mothers Day?

Christy Turlington Burns wrote a CNN opinion piece, “This year, make it 'No Mothers Day.'" Burns is an advocate of supporting women, so the headline is somewhat misleading.  She brings attention to the reason Mothers Day was sought by Julia Ward Howe:

In her Mother's Day Proclamation of 1870, Howe called on her "sisters" to work to establish peace so that her son could return home from war: "In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held ... to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace."

Burns is taking another step this year, asking mothers to “disappear” to point out what happens when a mother dies during pregnancy or childbirth. She boils the issue down in one paragraph:

[those deaths] are preventable if we extend very basic, known and trusted services: If we help women get to health care facilities in their time of need; if we ensure that a skilled professional is available to oversee their labor and delivery; if we provide access to family planning so that children are spaced. These goals are all within our reach, but only if we decide that women's lives are worth saving.

She brings this problem home with specific information for Americans that deaths from pregnancy-related complications in the US has increased by 50% in the last thirty years.

These are valid points. But I cannot advocate mothers ‘disappearing’, especially on the day focusing on mothers. I’m reminded of a verse:

He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD. (Psalms 113:9 KJV)

In Old Testament times, being barren was a huge detriment for a woman. Hannah comes to mind first, then Sarah followed by Rachel’s story.  Each of them failed to produce children for a time, impacting their family’s relationships.  Each of their children brought joy. Being a mother does bring joy, along with responsibility for the children to meet:

Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) (Ephesians 6:2 KJV)

I appreciate Howe’s desire for peace, that mothers not lose their children in war. I appreciate Burn’s desire for education, that women might not die during pregnancy. I cannot, however, advocate pacifism in the face of aggression nor can I advocate termination of pregnancies for convenience. I do advocate honoring mothers, learning how to be better ones and teaching daughters:

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (Titus 2:4-5 KJV)

Saturday we celebrated Mothers Day at church with a luncheon. Daughters, mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers – who appreciate celebrating a day set aside to acknowledge what a mother does - a very good preparation for celebrating Mothers Day with our families. May yours be a very blessed day.