May 2025
A Mother’s Comfort: A Reflection for May
Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her—
that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast;
that you may drink deeply with delight
from her glorious bosom.
For thus says the Lord:
I will extend prosperity to her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm,
and dandled on her knees.
As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
(Isaiah 66:10–13)
It’s truly spring now, isn’t it? No more chilly temperatures or surprise snow. What beautiful sunshine we can finally enjoy! What do you look forward to when spring arrives? Flowers? Green plants? Gardening? Yes—all of it! I’m excited to begin gardening myself.
Spring! Just saying the word fills us with joy. Spring brings expectation, hope, warmth, dreams, renewal, and the gift of new beginnings—a second chance to try again, even if we’ve failed before.
Spring also reminds us of a mother’s warm love.
May arrives like a gentle whisper—soft, green, blooming. After the long sleep of winter, the earth awakens, wrapped in blossoms and birdsong. Trees stretch out their arms again. Gardens begin their holy work. It’s no wonder that Mother’s Day finds its place in this season.
Spring is the world’s reminder that life begins in tenderness. And so does love.
In Isaiah 66, God speaks to the people with the deep language of nurture:
“ Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her—
that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast;
that you may drink deeply with delight
from her glorious bosom.
As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you.
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem”
Here, we glimpse the divine heart not as a distant ruler, but as a mother—gentle and strong, full of patience and mercy, cradling us in arms that never grow weary.
So many of us have known that kind of love: the warm embrace after a long day, the steady presence in seasons of sorrow, the one who believed in us when we had forgotten how to believe in ourselves. We give thanks for biological mothers, yes—but also for the many who have “mothered” us: teachers, friends, church members, and mentors whose love shaped our lives like sunlight shapes a bloom.
And yet, we also speak what is true: Mother’s Day carries complexity. Some hearts carry grief. Some carry longing. Some hold a deep ache for what never was or for what was lost too soon. And still, God meets us there—in the quiet, in the questions, in the tender spaces.
For those who rejoice, God rejoices with you.
For those who mourn, God cradles you gently.
For all of us, God offers this promise:
You shall be comforted. You shall be held. You shall be loved.
As spring unfolds around us, may we open ourselves to that sacred comfort. May we give thanks for those who have loved us with mothering hearts. And may we become bearers of that same love in a world hungry for kindness, for nurture, and for grace.
Blessings,
Pastor Jenny