“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13

Mother’s Day is upon us!!!  As a mom, it’s MY holiday.  “Mom” is probably the deepest, most powerful identity that you could find buried inside of me.  Giving birth to my children changed me in powerful, miraculous ways and that label is branded on my heart forever: “mom.”

But Mother’s Day is a weird holiday for special needs moms.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read posts or heard confessions from other special moms that say something like, “I’m just a normal mom.”  Special moms often get called out on Mother’s Day.  And the response I see and hear, behind the scenes, is the awkwardness that comes with it.   The plea/confession of “I’m not special, I’m not different.” Sometimes it can feel like a special mom is celebrated simply due to the fact that she loves her child – and it’s almost offensive.  This sentiment seems to ramp up around Mother’s Day. Special moms feels awkward when they get bonus points for, basically, giving birth to an imperfect child.   I could probably make a case on both sides of this debate.  On the one side, a special needs mom really does deserve a medal.  We have lots of extra work, heartache, stress, worries, etc.  But extra compared to who? The mom whose 18 year old enlists in the military? The divorced mom whose kids are away from her all summer? The working mom whose baby is in childcare all day?  ALL moms deserve a medal, lots of us endure exceptional circumstances for – or because of – our children.

If you don’t mind, however, I do have a specific encouragement for Special Moms on Mother’s Day.  Because, like it or not, you stand out.  Not because of your child, and not because of anything you do.  Because of this: God knows you and He chose you.  The Bible says He knit your child together in your womb. Not another woman’s, yours.  God knew this could throw anyone for a loop.  This could cause the most righteous to fall.  He trusts you. He believes in you. Don’t look around and compare yourself to what other moms do or have.  Look right inside your arms and see the child that a loving heavenly father chose to place there.  He knows that your child is in the perfect place for His will to be done.  You’re free to think whatever you want about other people celebrating you, turning the spotlight on you, or not.  But you cannot deny that God has singled you out, and chosen to place you on a path that is not for the faint nor the ordinary.  He directed His spotlight on you as if to say, “watch what my precious daughter will do!”  Happy Mother’s Day dear sister, you are so blessed.

As Elizabeth (mother of a very unique boy)  said of Mary (mother of THE exceptional child) “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!” Luke 1:45

Knit Together just right, since day 1!