Mother’s Day is easy for me to celebrate. I have—this is a fact, not just a biased opinion—the best mom in the entire universe. God knew what He was doing when He put us together. I think He looked at the little bit of “muchness” that I am—the big imagination that sometimes leans negative instead of positive, the emotions always felt and expressed deeply, and the logic that led to responses like, “I’m not arguing. I just have a different opinion,” and said, “I know just the mom who can handle her.” And He gave me to my mom. You’re welcome, Mom.
Over the years, my mom has become one of my best friends. She (almost) always knows the right words to comfort me, she translates me to my husband when needed, and her playful, childlike spirit brings fun into a boring adult world. So yes, celebrating Mother’s Day is easy for me.
Maybe as you’re reading this, memories of your own mom are springing to mind, lingering, placing a smile on your lips.
Or maybe not.
As easy as Mother’s Day is for me, I’m also very aware that Mother’s Day for some is like Father’s Day is for me—complicated. A reminder of what you didn’t have. What you wished you had. What you should have had.
For me, Father’s Day is made easier because of God the Father. Our perfect Dad. Our ever-present Provider. Our Protector. Our source of strength and identity. What a dad should be.
But what about those who didn’t—or don’t—have a mom? Or those who do, but whose mom isn’t safe to be in a relationship with?
I have always found something fascinating, so let me get a little word-nerdy. Genesis 1:2 says, “The earth was unformed and void, darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water” (CJB). The word for “Spirit” is “ruach,” a grammatically feminine word in Hebrew.
Of course, grammatical gender does not indicate biological or personal gender—just as “la mesa” in Spanish is grammatically feminine, even though a table has no gender.
Still, I’ve often thought the Holy Spirit’s characteristics and actions mirror those of a mother. The verb “to mother” means “to treat a person with great kindness and love and to try to protect them from anything dangerous or difficult.”1 So, let’s look at two ways the Holy Spirit mothers us.
- The Spirit Hovers.
It’s right there in the second verse of the Bible. The Spirit hovers. In all my observations of parents over the years, I’ve noticed that more often than not, it’s the mother who hovers.
“To hover” can be defined as “to remain suspended over a place or object.”2 I.e., to remain suspended over their child, no matter their age. Hovering mothers delight infants but annoy teenagers.
But the beginning of verse 2 helps me start to understand why mothers hover. The Bible says the earth was “unformed,” “void,” covered in darkness. Now, I don’t know exactly what the Holy Spirit’s role in creation was, but I think life came through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I think mothers hover because they’re looking for moments of darkness that need light, places of emptiness that need life, and I like to imagine the Holy Spirit hovering over me, ready to jump in at any moment with light and life.
A few nights ago, I had trouble sleeping, tossing and turning anxiously for hours. Eventually, I whispered, “Holy Spirit, I need you. I need your peace.” And no joke, I fell asleep within minutes.
There He was, hovering—just like my mother used to when she would rub my back, pray with me, or listen as I unburdened my heart at 2 a.m.
No matter how old I get, I will always need a hovering mother—and a hovering Spirit.
- The Spirit Brings Clarity out of Confusion.
Acts 2 tells of the Holy Spirit falling at Pentecost—tongues of fire, a sound like a rushing wind, and the disciples being accused of drinking too much wine. Kind of chaotic.
Maybe you’re thinking: That sounds like the Holy Spirit is the one who caused the confusion.
Here’s the thing, though: People from all over the region had gathered to celebrate the Jewish festival Shavu’ot (Pentecost), so that place was filled with people who spoke all different languages. The confusion and chaos were already there as people talked loudly over one another in their own tongues.
The Holy Spirit came in such a dramatic way that maybe at first it looked like He was only adding to the chaos, but He actually cut through it. He brought clarity. Understanding. Truth. And ultimately, salvation for all who believed.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come to my mom, overwhelmed by confusion, heartbroken, questioning why people treated me a certain way or why God wasn’t moving in a situation. My mind felt like chaos with a million different voices shouting different things.
But my mom has a way of cutting through the noise. Putting into words what needs to be said to reorient me toward the revelation that brings truth. She translates what I might be missing God saying.
There might still be chaos, but there doesn’t have to be confusion. Not with my mom. And not with the Holy Spirit.
These are only two similarities I see between mothers and the Holy Spirit. He’s also our Counselor, Comforter, Advocate, and Convicter of sin. Sounds like a mom, huh?
I hope as you celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend—whether you’re a mom yourself, honoring the mothers in your life, or grieving the mom you never had—you experience the Holy Spirit’s comforting nearness, knowing that you’ve never been not mothered.
