Moms to Single Women: “Thank you!”

For Mother's Day week, we wanted to honor two groups of women. 

First, we want to thank single women who do not have children of their own, but have chosen to love, serve, care for, and nurture other people's children. You too are worthy of honor on Mother's Day.

How does a single woman enter into the meaning of motherhood if she doesn’t have children of her own? Elisabeth Elliot answered this question:

“A single woman can have children!  She may be a spiritual mother, as was Amy Carmichael [missionary to orphans in India], by the very offering of her singleness, transformed for the good of far more children than a natural mother may produce.”

I know so many of you who have offered your singleness to God and had it transformed for the good of many children. You have become spiritual mothers to countless little ones.
When you listen to children's stories and laugh at their jokes, when you babysit them or take them on a special outing, when you encourage and comfort and teach them, you enter into the meaning of motherhood and honor God who created you as a woman to nurture little ones.

Single women, may I say “thank you” on behalf of all of us mothers? Thank you for babysitting our children. Thank you for taking an interest in our children. Thank you for making the gospel attractive to our children. Thank you for loving our children as if they were your very own.

My fellow moms, let's seek out and honor the single women who love our children this Mother's Day.