“As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you” (Isa 66:11 NKJV)

A popular, highly acclaimed Christian book, The Shack, was harshly criticized in my Christian circles due to its portrayal of God as a motherly woman.

I understand their objections. With 6000 years of tradition saying that God is “our Father”, to say nothing of the fact that this is the title He uses Himself, thinking of God as a mother is a bit hard to swallow!

Nevertheless, I personally have no problem with this concept.

Why not?

Because I am well aware that God has given innate talents to mothers that, though very different from those given to fathers, are vital for the well-being of a child!

Does the fact that God refers to Himself as our “Father” mean that a father’s talents are carbon-copies of God, while a mother’s talents are pulled out of nowhere?

I don’t think so. You see, God portrays many fatherly traits, but He portrays many motherly ones as well. He is our comforter, He hurts when we hurt, He nurtures us, He provides us with our food and our clothing, and He teaches us the vital lessons we need in life. And these are all things we normally attribute to mothers!

Yesterday, my youngest son, who has had his driver’s license for just 3 months, was involved in a motor vehicle accident. He was stopped at a stoplight when a car pulled up behind him and stopped as well. 2-3 minutes later, BAMMMM! The stopped car behind him was rear-ended hard enough to slam into the back of our van.

Thank God, my son was completely uninjured, and the van got off without a scratch. Apparently the trailer hitch took the brunt of the hit, and other than a head ache suffered by my son’s passenger, there were no negative effects of the accident whatsoever. As an added bonus, when the police took his driver’s license and insurance, they were quick to assure him that he would not in any way be faulted for the accident.

We also thank God that those in the other two cars were uninjured. Unfortunately, however, their vehicles didn’t fare as well. The middle car ended up looking something like a pancake, while the rear car, the one responsible for the accident, also went away with pretty severe damages.

But what did my son do as soon as the accident occurred? He pulled out his cell phone and sent text messages to his brother, his father, and his mother.

Why?

Because he needed emotional support.

He saw his brother a few minutes later, and apparently his father also responded quickly via text. Unfortunately however, I wasn’t at my desk and I didn’t get his text until sometime later. When he didn’t hear from me immediately, he called me, and once I was back home, my emotionally-shaken up boy clung to me for the rest of the evening.

Why? Wasn’t the comfort of his father and brother enough?

It was vital and important, and he craved it, but when it was all said and done, he needed to hear from his mother. At that time of his life, only the support of his mother’s would do.

Friends, when we are shaken up, when we have been emotionally battered and bruised, a mother’s comfort is what we crave. God is our Heavenly Father, yes. But God is also the perfect source of the nurturing support and love that we experience from a mother. Not only is He there for us in the way a father should be, but He is also always there for us to wipe away our tears, to tell us it’s going to be all right, and to hold our hands as we go on through life. God is EVERYTHING we need!

On this Mother’s Day, remember that even when your earthly mother can’t be there for you, there is a more perfect, ever-present mother figure that we can cling to: God – our Mother!

Lyn Chaffart