The Blessing of Spiritual Mothers by Araceli (Sally) Cardenas

by Rachael Adams | Jul 13, 2023 | The Love Offering Guest Blog Series

When I’m with a group of women, I dread one question: “Do you have…”? I know what’s coming before they finish. It’s a question that stings the most, one I’d like to dodge, skip, or pretend I didn’t hear. For women yearning for motherhood, this is a loaded question that can stir emotions that bring you to your knees. Especially if you’re longing for a child, hoping and praying this will be the month, or you mourn the loss of a child.

Answering the question, I hear the enemy whisper labels like “childless” and “barren.” They reveal a longing I’ve carried in my heart since I met my husband, exchanged vows, and walked down the aisle. I was certain we’d have a little girl or boy. It was only a matter of time. We’d already chosen the names “Isabella” and “Leonardo.”

Sadly, I discovered that getting pregnant wouldn’t be easy. As my marriage unraveled, I held onto the labels, and my worth as a woman began to diminish. Either I hadn’t done enough to make it happen or I wasn’t whole without the title I longed for most—Mother.

Beyond the physical struggles of having a child, I believed it was God who had labeled me. I turned to His Word, hoping to turn the word “barren” on its head and replace it with hope and truth. I searched for Bible stories that offered a glimmer of hope I could hold onto after months of negative pregnancy tests.

I read stories like Hannah, who remained childless for years despite her desperate plea to conceive, and Sarah, wife of Abraham, who was childless until she was ninety years old. All along, God had a much greater plan for these women. He was teaching them (and us) the hardest lesson of all: He is the One who ultimately opens and closes a womb as the Creator of life (Genesis 1:1). From Hannah to Sarah, to Mary and Elizabeth, to Rachel and Ruth, the closing and opening of wombs are His doing.

Each woman’s journey to motherhood is unique and serves a purpose, including my own. Like Hannah, I relentlessly begged God for a child, but my story was no surprise to God. It wasn’t a matter of luck, circumstance, or even sexual intimacy, as in the story of Mary. Instead, He wanted me to embrace a new role I had taken for granted.

I recalled the many young people I minister to, including my nieces and nephews whom I’ve taken under my wing, counseled, and encouraged since accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior. They sign off every message or text with “I love you, Smomma,” short for Spiritual Momma, or Mamma Bear, Big Sally, Tia Sally, or Godmother.

My relationship with them is special. There’s a bond of trust, unconditional love, and understanding that I want the best for them. Through them, I’m reminded, “Children are a gift from the Lord” (Psalm 127:3 NLT), whether conceived in your womb or heart.

So today, embrace the young people who surround you and counsel them as a spiritual mother, mentor, and friend—love them as your own. Motherhood is more than the physical. It’s about nurturing life, both biological and spiritual.

Spiritual Mothers

Reflection

If you yearn for motherhood, I encourage you to bring your desire to the altar. Bring your questions. Never hold back. In the eyes of our Heavenly Father, you are complete. You are enough. And when asked the question I dodged for years, consider my response today, “The Lord has blessed me with many spiritual children, all conceived in my heart.”

About the Author:

Araceli (Sally) Cardenas is an author, independent consultant for the United Nations in Rome, Italy, and owner of Rome Today TV and Tours. Her passion and calling are to encourage, equip, and empower women all over the world to discover their value and worth in who they are in Christ. She shares God’s love and hope with others through her writing and teaching, including Beyond the Veil, her memoir more than two decades in the making, and her children’s book, Buddy Moves to Rome, a fun story that captures the unlikely friendship between an odd doggy couple and how they learn to rely on each other no matter their shape or size.