There are so many things on my mind and it is so hard to know where to start.  

I guess I will just start typing. I had a great day with my husband today!  To be quite honest, this past week has not been easy.  It started with me doing a maternity photo shoot and attending the baby shower of a good friend.  A few days later we found out we aren't pregnant yet again.  Then I helped host another baby shower for a friend yesterday and now it is Mother's Day.  I was seriously dreading Mother's Day.  I truly didn't think I could handle going to church today, so we didn't.  And I don't feel the least bit guilty.  Because you know what? Sometimes you just have to take care of yourself.  There are times when you can choose not to put yourself in a situation that you know is going to be terribly painful. You can't escape every place or event where the sting of infertility is especially strong, but you can escape some.  And sometimes you just need to.  So today Corey and I drove about and hour and a half east of where we live and spent the day hiking and exploring in the Ozark Mountains.  It was so wonderful to be out enjoying God's beautiful creation together.  I always feel so close to God when I am outdoors... especially when I am away from home, there aren't many people around and my surroundings are breathtaking.  I think it is because I am still and quiet.  I'm not on my phone or talking, nor do I have a thousand things running through my mind at once.  It is like somehow I am able to just be in the present and not worrying about the future or wishing I could change the past. I got a much needed break from my usual ways today. I did not spend the day pitying myself.  I spent the day focused on the Lord and on my husband and the wonderful life I've been given. I spent the day feeling thankful for my own Mom.  I spent the day remembering just how much my life has been changed by God's grace.  Basically, I spent the day feeling very blessed.    

As I was out there in the peaceful woods today, God laid something on my heart. I became acutely aware that I am not the only person who dreads Mother's Day, nor is infertility the only reason women suffer on this day. Suddenly I realized that this is my Mom's 1st Mother's Day without her Mom.  I thought about other girls I know who are longing to be mothers but have not been able to be for one reason or another. And what about those Moms who have lost children in tragic accidents or to awful diseases?  And how about those people whose mothers abused or abandoned them, or those mothers whose children are estranged? As I began to think about these things, my heart began to hurt for all of these women and for the pain they must be feeling. 

The Proverbs 31 woman {a.k.a. the noble wife and mother} definitely deserves to be acknowledged and commended!  I am so glad there are days set aside for these women like Mother's Day, wedding anniversaries and birthdays.  Even though I have not experienced motherhood, I know for a fact that it is no easy calling.  I definitely think godly mothers should be recognized and appreciated for all they do for their families!  And I pray that this Mother's Day has been a very special one for all of you Moms out there. I hope you have been lifted up, encouraged, prayed for and thanked.

I believe the 1 Samuel 1 woman {a.k.a. the infertile or suffering woman} also deserves to be recognized and given some attention to.  These women, some of whose circumstances I mentioned above, have been called to walk through some awfully difficult trials.  And so many of them, like Hannah, have such unwavering faith.  But what they deal with is hard.... really hard.  And they are often forgotten or left in the shadows to suffer alone.  I think these godly women should be recognized  and remembered. They should have at least one special day set aside sometime during the year where the people who love them lift them up, encourage them, pray for them and thank them.  

So can I ask you to do something with me today?  Women of God, lets pray for each other.  Proverbs 31 women, pray for your sisters in Christ who are suffering.  Pray for healing.  Pray for God's provision and strength for the journey ahead.  If there is a woman in your life who came to your mind or was laid upon your heart while reading this, reach out to her. Let her know she is loved and cared for and admired for her faith in the storm.  Send her a card or text, take her out for coffee, go for a walk... just do something.  And 1 Samuel 1 women, pray for your sisters in Christ who are godly wives and mothers.  Pray for wisdom and patience. Recognize that even though it may seem they have the perfect lives, they don't.  They need our prayers and encouragement just as much as we need theirs. We all live in a fallen world where pain and suffering are inevitable....they ebb and flow, just like the tides.  You may be feeling like you are always struggling while someone else is always being blessed, but you will probably find one day that the roles will be reversed.  That is why it is important that you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and on His promises and not worry about what is fair or what is right.  But rather let us pray for each other and lift each other up both in the sunshine and the storm.  After all, our true worth is ultimately not found in being mothers, but in being daughters of the King!  Lets glorify Him.

You give and take away, You give and take away. My heart will choose to say... Lord blessed be your Name!