
Every year for the last six years, I’ve bought a Mother’s Day card for one of my best friends, Jennifer. She doesn’t have children of her own, yet she deserves to share that special day with a million other moms.
When I met her six years ago, I had no idea we would have the friendship we have today. She has inspired me to go beyond what I knew I was capable of. I’ve cried on her shoulder more times than I can count. She provides me with countless nuggets of wisdom. And she doesn’t hesitate to slap me upside the head when I do something dumb, which is frequently.
Oh … and she’s 45, so that officially makes her old, right?
Jennifer could never have children due to some health issues in her late 20s. For many, that could seem like the end of life. No children so often means no purpose in the lives of some women. Not for her.
Since I’ve known her, Jennifer has given birth to more fruitful ideas than I can even write about. She birthed a prayer team at our church. She’s helped women in their struggling marriages. She became the vice president of marketing for a Christian publishing company. She walked with me through some of the darkest days of my life, showing me the life I was living wasn’t the life I had to stay stuck in. Now she has birthed a book.
She’s taught me a lot about my own life. You see, I’m 30 and single, and I’m not 100 percent sure I want to have children. When I say that out loud, some look at me like I have three heads, but I’m learning to be okay with it.
I’m okay with it because I know I’m going to give birth to so many other things, like books, a ministry, a speaking career and more. God is giving me the opportunity to speak to audiences, sharing my story of redemption.
I’m walking alongside addicts, the sexually abused, depressed women seeking hope, and more. The opportunity to mother others with the love God shows through me is overwhelmingly amazing.
Children are a beautiful thing. I love kids. I’m a kid myself. That doesn’t mean we’re all called to have children of our own.
We can be the mother of many if we follow God’s calling on our lives, just like my friend Jennifer did.
Her obedience to pour into my life is changing generations, one step at a time.
Happy Mother’s Day to my friend. Thanks for showing me hope.
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