Last August, I experienced a Mother’s Day unlike any other. In Thailand, the people celebrate Mother’s Day on the queen’s birthday. It just happened to fall on the week that my daughter and I ventured to Thailand with Rescue 1 Global.
On Mother’s Day, we arose to attend a church service. Upon arriving, there sat a group of children attending their weekend lessons. They sang with us a awhile before departing after worship.
They didn’t know a word that we were singing. The songs that we sang were amazing that day. They were songs of hope and God’s love for us. There is something about being in a foreign country with a group of people who are almost strangers and singing praises with them. It is amazing to hear their heart ring out to worship our God in a way that is crying out to God to heal this land.
Later, the children returned to sing a program that they had rehearsed. These foreign children sang a long, mournful song in a language I did not understand. Still, I could sense the sorrow in the words.
I sat in the audience video taping these precious children thinking to myself,” I have no idea what they were saying but they are very passionate about those words.”
Upon hearing the translation, I began to weep. The children were singing of a love that they had never known in their heart. The love of a mother that would comfort them when they were scared, hurt, sad, or lonely. A mother that would tuck them in at night and tell them that they couldn’t wait to see them the next day. They spoke of not having any words to write to give to their teacher tomorrow about their mother’s love. Instead, there were only tears. They sang about their cold pillow and blanket that are never warm because they had no mother. All of the children in the room began to sob.
After that, I was given a flower for being a mom and brought up to the front of the room. My daughter would come and sit at my feet. I would pray for my biological daughter and offer her a blessing. Next, each of the motherless children would also receive a flower. They would be allowed to come to the front where about 6 of us mothers were sitting. They were able to come and give us their flower and sit at our feet and hug us, feel the love that only a mother could give, and receive prayer and a blessing. I remember connecting with a couple of girls that day in a way that I hope that they could feel the love from the one that cares. My heart began to break for these children. I am a mother. I provide that touch to my children.
Today, I would touch these children and let them know that someone does care. His name is Jesus.
In America, Mother’s Day is another holiday to receive a card, flowers, and go out to eat to give mom the “day off”. That day in Thailand was a day to extend another hand to a motherless child and to say, “I’ll be your mom today.”
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Written by Angela Sutherland
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