Mom's Devotional Bible
A Mother’s Friends
Additional Scripture Readings: Ruth 1:16–17; Proverbs 17:17
Most of us fondly remember our childhood best friend, a friend with whom we shared secrets, wrote notes and had weekend sleep-overs.
During the days of mothering children, moms need solid friendships. We long for that listening ear, that shoulder to lean on. We long for intimacy. In plain language, intimacy is being understood by another. It means “into-me-see.”
Elizabeth understood Mary and her situation and lovingly took her into her heart and home. When Mary turned to Elizabeth, she drew strength from the common challenge they faced of upcoming motherhood. In touching Elizabeth’s swollen belly, Mary grew in her understanding of what to expect of her own body. In watching Elizabeth give birth to a child who would become a man used by God, Mary prepared her spirit to meet her own future as the mother of Immanuel.
Through all the confusing and exhilarating months and years of mothering, a woman needs friends—Elizabeths who can understand us and remind us that we are not alone.