“At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha,
which is translated Do rcas.
This woman was full of good works
and charitable deeds which she did”
(Acts 9:36).
SHE HAS BEEN MARRIED for over five years and a frequent question resonates among her family and friends: “When is the baby coming?” This insistence from so many has made her anxious and, what’s more, has deteriorated her marital relationship, especially when she hears her close relatives affirm that every woman’s dream is to become a mother. She feels too much pressure and this affects her more than necessary.
Motherhood is implicit in women’s nature, but this does not mean that women who don’t have children are exempt from developing a matemal attitude, defined as “the ability to nurture, suppon, accept and serve. Maternal attitude unleashes our talents; it makes us able to express feelings of sharing, companionship and solidarity. The matemal aspect within us will unconditionally suppon every being, thing or process that needs strength and nurturing to grow” (M. Bianchetti). This loving attitude allows us to give binh to life wherever we intervene.
Women have been made to provide tenderness and shelter, and we can do » even if we don’t have children. That counteracts the argument that women who don’t have children will be always frustrated.
Dear friend, if you still don’t have children, don’t worry. God knows the bent way for you to carry out your sense of motherhood. There are many children you can make happy by giving them love and a home. There are many children who live without parents, even when they have them; they’re exposed and suffer helplessness; you can shelter some of those children in your lap.
Caring for others is pari of feminine sensitivity. Dorcas’s story and her motherly fulfillment through the ministry of caring is a simple and practical example. The Bible doesn’t mention that she had children, but she had taken care of a large number of people, and when she died, many cried as if she had been a protecting mother.
What do you think of the idea of living in such a way that, when the time of your death comes, the whole church misses everything you did for those who needed it the most while you were alive? I think this is a wonderful aspiration. I’ll let you think about it.