Motherhood: a term that stirs nearly every emotion within the heart of a woman. Some will suffer the loss of never naturally birthing a child. Some will suffer that they ended the life of their child. Some will suffer with regrets as a mother, feeling oh-so-deficient in the role they have carried. Others will experience aching arms that wish to hold their child or children once more in intimate embrace…knowing they cannot for a myriad of reasons. It might be distance of miles; it might be broken relationships. Even still, it might be that their child is no longer living.

I want to say to men or women who read this blog…Mother’s Day is a day of great tenderness. It’s not always celebratory; oftentimes it is, as with a newborn baby in arms. Please be in tune with that which your mother, your wife, your daughter, or your friend is experiencing on this day, and multiple other days of the year.

Jesus loved His mother. He tenderly cared for her by profoundly demonstrating this in His last hour when He assigned to John the continuing love and devotion that His mother would need. Where are the “Johns” who will step in and love in place of the one who is absent? Barren women ache. Women who made desperate decisions regret. Longing mothers have to adjust to unfulfilled desires. Brokenness is painful ~ we must empathize.

Father God purposed that John would be the one who would be at the Cross, during that hour of great loss, when Jesus said, “Son, behold your mother. Mother, behold your son.” [John 19:27] A critical relationship exchange was being made. Jesus’ love for His mother was being transferred to one He could trust to hold her as dear as He had held her. The bar was set high.

I challenge my readers to “behold your mother.” That ‘mother’ may be your natural mother, a grandmother, your wife, a surrogate mother, a relative, or a friend. “John,” whoever you are…be tender to her. Try to understand her pain, her loss, the empty nest, her dashed dreams, the crushing grief. Along with that, celebrate her joys.

As we study the Greek word ‘behold:’ may we accept the challenge to view attentively, and to contemplate so that we may honor her by empathizing with her as she so needs.