When motherhood feels heavy: Finding the 'rock higher than I'

By Melissa Paredes, Op-ed contributor Sunday, May 10, 2026

“Your son has …”

My brain went numb as the doctor clinically listed off all the things that were “wrong” with my oldest son — autism, ADHD, speech, language and math comprehension disorders.

The list seemed to go on and on as she described my son by all the things that he lacked, as if these diagnoses defined who he is — who he will ever grow up to be — rather than painting a picture of all that God has done and will continue to do in his life.

At times like these, motherhood can feel profoundly heavy. In different seasons, I’ve felt inadequate, overwhelmed, or simply exhausted. Most women I know have been brought to their knees more than once in their motherhood journey — by relational difficulties, trauma, medical complexities, loneliness or various other challenges. Research suggests that maternal mental health is declining, and loneliness is often a defining characteristic.

But I’ve learned that it’s when we’re on our knees that God meets us.

After I left the doctor that day, struggling to process it all, God gave me this gentle reminder: I have prepared you for this journey. You are not alone. I am with you and your son. He is mine, and I am writing a wonderful story through his life. He brought Psalm 61:2 to my mind: “From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (NIV).

God re-centers my heart daily through Scriptures like these, sometimes hourly. When I’m tempted to take my eyes off my Rock and focus on the hardships of life, I’m grateful I have His Word to anchor me. It also leads me to recognize opportunities amid the hard — and how God is always preparing us for what He knows is coming next.

Growing up, I wanted to be a writer, but I also loved kids and felt called to serve with orphans. So, I earned a degree in early childhood education with a special-needs emphasis, assuming writing would stay a hobby and kids would be my career. But God inverted my plans, calling me to serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators and write as part of my role there, while letting me use my formal education within the walls of my own home.

It’s through my work that I got to meet another mom whose motherhood story is being written by God in ways she never saw coming. As a new mother, Karen was overwhelmed by grief and uncertainty when she learned that her son, Felipe, was deaf. She couldn’t understand why God had allowed this. In her pain and questioning, God led her to the Book of Job, where she was reminded that lament is not rejection; it is relationship. And as she brought her lament and honest questions to Him, He walked with her and sustained her.

Over time, meditating on Psalm 139:13-14 realigned her heart, and she began to ask a new question: What did God want to do through their family? Today, Karen and her husband are passionate supporters of Bible translation efforts for the deaf in Colombia, where she’s from. Through her love for her precious son and for the Bible, God opened her eyes to the need of millions of Deaf people around the world for Scripture in their sign language and stirred her heart to participate in His global mission.

Likewise, I’ve seen gifts in my life emerge out of those unexpected places God brings us as mothers. My son truly sees and enjoys people. He radiates joy and enthusiasm for life, and he’s taught me what it looks like to show up as my full self, unashamed and unconcerned about what others might think of me.

When he was 7 years old, he decided he wanted to get baptized — my sweet son who couldn’t get his head wet without having a panic attack. When I told him that baptism at our church involved getting fully submerged in water, he bravely told me, “It’s okay, mommy! I want to do it because I want everyone to know that I love Jesus.” His passionate declaration was such a testimony of who Jesus is to him and a reminder that God is always faithful.

This Mother’s Day, I’m grateful for the gift of God’s Word that sustains and strengthens me. He is writing unique stories in each of our lives and in our children’s lives — individual threads within the overarching tapestry of His story. And when I shift my perspective to that, everything else begins to fall into place.