Love Knows No Boundaries
- SUSAN M DICK
- May 1
- 5 min read
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13: 13
With Mother’s Day approaching, my thoughts drift to all the women who have made a difference in my life. I am grateful for their loving presence, knowing smiles, and friendship over the years, and praise God for sending women of great expertise, experience, and faith to help mold me into the woman I am today.
If I could, I would highlight each one, but today, I’m overflowing with gratitude for those caring hearts who have walked with me, whether it be for a day, a season, or many years since I became a young mom in my early twenties. Whether you are single, a mom yourself, an aunt, sister, grandparent, parent who lost a child, or a woman in the workplace or marketplace, you have all left your mark, for which I am thankful.
When we love someone, our lives are transformed forever. Nothing is more true than the bond between a mother and a child. Over the years, the opportunities to learn, pray, and play with my kiddos, and those I taught, have been many, though now I realize not nearly enough.
No longer up for late-night feedings, I miss the Legos underfoot, but I am thrilled to play an active part in our grandchildren’s lives.
Our home is quiet, and faith has become an anchor to my soul. I have discovered that a mother’s love knows no boundaries. “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13: 7-8 NIV).
Like many parents, I was filled with a sense of awe, hopes, and dreams for each beautiful child and grandchild I fed and soothed in the rocking chair that still sits in our living room today.
I recall reading Dr. Spock and later ordering my first Christian parenting book, which was written around the verse, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22: 6 ESV). The cover resembled my son, a chubby-cheeked, happy, mischievous-looking toddler wearing bibbed overalls and a cap on his head.
I soon realized that this was not a stand-alone verse and that I was responsible for encouraging, disciplining, and equipping my precious babes to grow into the person the Lord was calling them to be. It was up to me to share God’s love with them.
Looking to the examples of women in Scripture who have changed lives for generations with God’s divine protection and direction, God, in his mighty Wisdom, provides examples to remind us that we are never alone.
Discovering the brave examples of Godly women like Mary and Elizabeth, Naomi and Ruth, and most recently, in the Old Testament, I again began to ponder the courage of Jochebed and her daughter Miriam, who also were chosen and allowed God to work through them to make an eternal difference.
Just think. You and I are chosen, too. Like Jochebed (her name means God is glory in Hebrew), you and I were born for a specific time in history. As part of His Story, we have a unique and special task as mothers and sisters in Christ, which only God can prepare us for.
Charles Spurgeon writes, “God makes us strong by holy doing.”
With obedience, trust, and faith in God, Jochebed showed divine strength. Jochebed, the daughter of Levi in Egypt and wife of Amram, was the mother of three prophets, not just Miriam, but Aaron and Moses, too (Numbers 26: 59 NIV).
Luke writes that from the beginning, Moses was set apart.
“At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight” (Acts 7:20 ESV), “and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family” (Acts 7: 20 NIV), despite the order from the king of Egypt to eliminate all male babies.
Moses was born into a culture of injustice, maltreatment, and extreme hardship. His mother, Jochebed, remained God focused, faithfully trusting the Father, and spiritually strong.
“But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him” (Exodus 2: 3-4 NIV).
Bravely watching, Miriam saw Pharaoh’s daughter approach the basket and went out of her comfort zone to ask if she should get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby. Miraculously, Miriam went to get her mother to nurse baby Moses, and it was during this time that God’s plan to rescue the Israelites and lead them out of Egypt was put in motion.
Later in her son’s life, I imagine Jochebed prayed even harder. Moses fell to grave sin as a murderer, lived as a shepherd, and was molded by God until one day God spoke to him through a burning bush, led the Hebrews out of captivity, and to hear the Ten Commandments (Exodus 2: 12-23, 3: 1-21, 14, 20 NIV).
You and I have also had to be courageous prayer warriors in our own ways. Letting go, trusting in complete surrender, and releasing our beloved children to God’s loving care as they endure hardships is one of the hardest things Christian moms learn to do.
But there is great comfort in knowing that the same God who watched over his people then, and his Son, Jesus, who died on the cross, delivers us and our children from sin, death, and evil, too.
Like Jochebed, you and I “have no greater joy than to hear that our children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1: 4 NIV).
When you and I blanket each child, grandchild, and those we care about with unconditional love, grace, kindness, and daily prayer, we hold fast to God’s promises. Watching our own evolve into the persons they have been called to be through their struggles one day and victories the next is not always easy, but it will always be one of the greatest gifts of motherhood. For we know God’s unfailing love and faithfulness make all the difference.
“Mothers hold their children’s hands for a little while, but their hearts forever” (Unknown).
This Mother’s Day, as you celebrate the gift of family, may the Spirit of God lead you, the Word of God sustain you, and the promises of God grant you the gift of everlasting peace.
Thank you, sweet sister, for your loving presence in my life.
Have a blessed and beautiful day!
It is my honor and privilege to pray for you. Please email me your prayer requests at sue@faithfirstwomen.com
Our Questions for Reflection are:
Think of the people who have impacted your role as a parent or grandparent. How can you reach out to thank them?
How can you support and encourage the mothers or grandmothers you know today?
Do you have a spiritual mentor who has mothered you? Let her know the difference she has made in your life.
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Sue Dick, Author of Nourish Your Soul: 7 Secrets for Women Seeking Peace
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