It’s no surprise to hear a Mother’s Day message about Mary. She is the mother of our Lord, after all. But these messages often focus on the dramatic story of Jesus’s incarnation and the incredible and joyful obedience shown by this remarkable young woman.

What tends to get overlooked are the episodes that speak of her humanity and the complexities and heartbreaks she endured as the Messiah’s mother.

Her relationship with Jesus and trust in God’s promise encouraged her to turn to him at during a wedding mishap in Cana (John 2:1–11)
As Jesus begins challenging the status quo by doing things like healing on the Sabbath (Mk. 3:1–6), his family plans to collect him because they fear he’s lost his mind (Mk. 3:21); even though Mary isn’t specifically named, it’s she who shows up with Jesus’s brothers (Mk. 3:31)
She watches her son get crucified (Jn. 19:25-27) and in that moment her grief mingles with her lack of understanding regarding God’s plan
Along with the message that parenting isn’t for the weak, we find many helpful lessons in Mary’s life—the chief being that it takes faith to trust that God’s plan is bigger than the potential you see in your children at any particular momen