June 16, 1985, was a typical summer day in Texas. Toasty hot. Dry. And, oh, yeah – I was nine months pregnant. That evening, my body began to let me know that delivery was near. Sure enough, on the afternoon of the 17th, we became first-time parents to a son.

Three years later found our little family of three excitedly waiting for our newest member to arrive. Eight hours after being admitted to the hospital, we were delighted to hear, “It’s a boy!”

My life as a boy mom was officially underway, and I was okay with that.

I was never a girly-girl. I preferred throwing around the baseball or football to standing in small circles of whispering, giggling girls. My high school years were mostly spent under the roof of a single dad and my two younger brothers. So having a couple more “men” in my life was comfortable for me.

I was grateful for my little buddies and was fortunate enough to find some other boy moms who were also dedicated to raising their sons to become godly young men. Those little buddies of mine grew up, and each in turn committed himself to a lovely bride. Each one of those women was big-hearted, intelligent, and kind. After all the years of boy life, I was finally given the gift of daughters-in-love, and my heart exploded with joy!

Those beautiful girls have been a blessing to us for over 12 years now. But the Lord hasn’t stopped there! I currently also get to be a part of the lives of several young ladies through our church family. I’ve given physical birth to exactly zero daughters, but in His kindness, God has given me numerous “spiritual daughters” to disciple and love on through the years.

It’s been a privilege to celebrate with these girls – college graduations, first “real jobs,” weddings, babies, and other life milestones. And it’s been a painful honor to suffer with them and to carry them in prayer through unfulfilled longings – the single life instead of the married one, empty arms due to infertility and miscarriage, a difficult marriage they never dreamed they’d have.

To pray for and with these spiritual daughters, to offer biblical counsel through tough situations, to encourage them on hard days, to listen to them, to share life over a hot cup of coffee or an ice cold Diet Coke – these are the blessings of “spiritual motherhood.”

There’s not a whole lot that I’ve loved about aging, but I wear the badge of “older woman” in the church with humility and gratitude. I pray that God helps me to live a life worthy of the calling given in Titus 2:3-5: “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.” It’s a tall order, but it’s one I’ve committed to pursuing to honor the Lord - regardless of how I may diminish physically over the years.

If you find yourself in the same life stage as me – with or without daughters of your own – the Lord has a job for you. Spread your wings wide, and welcome all the daughters – of every kind - into the care and nurture of a spiritual mama who loves Jesus with her whole heart. The difference you make will be eternal, and the blessings will overflow into the next generation of God’s women.