Discovering Motherhood: The One Without a Role Model

 

This week I’ll be exploring motherhood by sharing what I glean from, “Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today” by Kathi Macias and offering creative DIY ideas for Mother’s Day gifts.

Anticipation grew each day after I heard my daughter’s heartbeat. At the time, I didn’t know it was a girl, but I couldn’t wait to meet her, kiss her cheeks, caress her tiny fingers and rock all her cries away.

Then after nine months of eager expectation, I came face to face with my daughter for the first time. In the dark hours of morning, I heard cries belt from a set of obviously healthy lungs, and in the midst of all the wonder and excitement, a shriek of terror went straight to my heart. I know nothing about motherhood.

How will I care for her?
How will I teach her?
What if is she doesn’t nurse?
What will I do if she cries all night?
How often do I put her down for a nap?

Questions vigorously spun in my mind, as I enjoyed my daughters first moments of exploring the world around her. Ultimately I had only one question. How will I ever learn to become a good mother? As difficult as those early days were for me, it was far more overwhelming for another mother.

Looking back on the pages of scripture, Eve was the first mother who ever walked the face of this earth. Although fashioned from the very hand of God and clothed with radiant purity, Eve had no role model to emulate. No mother of her own to look up to, no childhood memories to speak insight into her days. Eve could only garner from a season of perfect communion and fellowship with God.

Surely there is insight to gain from the first mother of all life. While Eve is most remembered for partaking of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, the rest of her life gives us hope.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not calamity, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Despite Eve’s failings and sin, despite the agony of seeing sibling rivalry that ultimately ended in the murder of a son, and despite doubting God and his Word, the Lord had a plan. Her seed would bring forth sons and daughters to blanket the world.

“…She gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel…." Genesis 4:25

In a picture of perfect grace, it is from Seth’s offspring that another son would be born. A son named, “Emmanuel.” A son who became our Redeemer, restoring harmony with God.

I am blessed to have my mom as role model, helping me navigate the unsteady waters of motherhood. However, there are still storms of inadequacies that crash against me. Named by Adam, “The Mother of All Living,” Eve didn’t fade into the background after being exiled from the Garden. Rather she left the Garden with a prophesy of promise woven into her very name - she would indeed become the mother for all. Her sin brought darkness and death to a world that was only filled with beauty and light. But God still offered hope and gave her purpose. Eve’s life reminds me to continue moving forward, knowing God has a plan even when I fall short, even when I am not enough.

“Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” Luke 1:45