No one talks about this at a baby shower, but disappointment and sadness are as much a part of parenting as are joy and wonder. As many moms will attest, one way through the parenting years is to find a village/family/support network and lean on each other. Doing so can be challenging when we’re often busy or tired. But we, and our children, need the community of other caring adults.
The apostle Paul – who probably never had kids, but did manage unruly congregations – writes to the Philippians about living through disappointments and challenges. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
This could sound like a saccharine platitude, but the passage, for me, is saved by Greek grammar. In the original Greek, the pronouns “you” and “your” are all plural. Paul is not advising us to do this on our own – he’s saying that y’all (you plural) can do this. We do it together, as a community.
This message is excerpted from “Disappointment or rejoicing? Yes.” by Lisa A. Smith in the September/October 2023 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate Hildegard, Abbess of Bingen, 1179.
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