Worship leader and pastor Darlene Zschech delivered an emotional and deeply personal Mother's Day message at HopeUC, encouraging weary mothers and families to find strength, dignity, and rest in God amid the pressures of everyday life.
Speaking during the church's special Mother's Day service, Zschech honored mothers in all seasons of life while acknowledging that the day can also carry grief, loneliness, infertility struggles, and painful memories for many families.
"Whether motherhood has come to you by natural birth or adoption, by becoming a stepparent, a foster parent, our love and our support and our respect is always with you," she shared.
The longtime worship leader and pastor centered her message around what she called "the holy road of weary feet," describing motherhood as both sacred and sacrificial. Reflecting on her own journey as a mother and grandmother, Zschech spoke candidly about the emotional and physical exhaustion that often accompanies parenting while reminding listeners that God remains present in every season.
Drawing from Matthew 11, she encouraged believers to bring their burdens directly to Christ.
"Jesus never says, 'Get yourself together and come to me.' He simply says, 'Come to me. Come now,'" Zschech preached.
Throughout the sermon, Zschech repeatedly emphasized God's compassion toward those who feel unseen or forgotten. Turning to the story of Hagar in Genesis 16, she described the biblical figure as a powerful example of how God sees and hears people in their pain.
"Hagar is the only person in the Bible who gets to name God," Zschech said. "And she names Him El Roi - the God who sees me."
The message also highlighted the quiet, everyday acts of motherhood that often go unnoticed. Referencing Isaiah 52:7, Zschech described mothers' "weary feet" as beautiful because they carry peace, prayer, nurture, and the love of Christ into homes and communities.
"In God's eyes, our feet are described as beautiful because the message we carry is of love, peace, gentleness, humility, and hope," she said.
Zschech also encouraged believers to lean on the power of the Holy Spirit and the support of Christian community, stressing that families were never meant to walk through life alone.
"We need each other to raise our children in the ways of God," she told the congregation.
The service concluded with an invitation for attendees to place their trust in Jesus through a prayer of salvation, followed by a heartfelt encouragement to honor mothers and loved ones on Mother's Day.
"Phone your mom. Text your mom. Let today be a day where you say, 'Mom, I love you,'" Zschech said.
The Mother's Day message resonated strongly with the congregation both in-person and online, with viewers from around the world responding to the service and celebrating mothers across different seasons of life.
