And Mary said:

“My soul exalts the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior…

For the Mighty One has done great things for me;

And holy is His name.”

—Luke 1:46-47, 49

Yesterday was my first Mother’s Day as a mama. I still can’t hold my baby in my arms yet, but I got to feel her kicking and turning all day to remind me that, in a way, I’ve become someone new. Not completely, but I’ve added something new to who I am. Something I’ve been waiting to add to myself for a long time, and all I have in me to pour out this morning is gratitude.

Today’s verse is from the beginning of Luke, when Mary went to visit Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, John leapt inside her womb. Elizabeth responded by blessing Mary, and Mary responded with this song. And while I am not going to claim much of this passage—I am not, after all, carrying the Messiah—I do have to say that these particular verses reflect my heart well today.

I am truly thankful for the sweet little miracle growing inside me and all the new experiences to come as I enter motherhood. But I am also thankful for all the almost-mama experiences I’ve had leading up to this.

I’m thankful for the time I spent working at a daycare, helping shape a sweet group of fifteen three-year-olds. I’m thankful for the eleven years I’ve spent in the classroom, during which time I served and cared for nearly 1,000 students. And I’m also thankful for the sweet little boy or girl we lost this past August.

I know the pain of not being able to hold the baby you’re hoping for, but even in the empty space left behind by loss or a “not yet,” there is blessing, there is grace, there is comfort. And I am thankful for it all.

I pray that all of you had a wonderful Mother’s Day, despite the pain the day can sometimes bring. May you all be blessed, and when you need it, comforted. I’ll be back next week with something a little more traditional. See you then!