MOTHERS are in the news again!

The government’s planned scheme to cover 20 per cent of childcare costs for children up to 12 has made sure of that.

It’s a pity, really, that it takes something like this to make mothers newsworthy.

That’s the problem with good news; we often don’t notice it.

And mothers are good news – the vast, vast majority of mothers do a brilliant job of bringing up children.

From knowing exactly where that missing sock is to providing comfort and a sticking plaster for a bashed knee, mothers do it all.

Thank heavens then that once a year we get a chance to say thank you.

The Mother’s Day card and sweets may only be a small reward for all that dedication and love, but they show that it was noticed and appreciated.

Thanks mums everywhere.

Mothering Sunday, as the Church calls this day, gives us a chance to look back and remember mothers too.

There’s Mary of course, the mother of Jesus, but the bible tells about lots of others too.

One of my favourites is Hannah, the mother of one of the great prophets of Israel, Samuel.

She had to let Samuel go at a very early age to help out at the shrine looked after by a man called Eli.

It’s quite likely that lack of money had something to do with this – no help with childcare costs in those days.

Hannah could only visit him once a year, and each time she brought him a new robe she’d made for him to wear, a little bit larger than last year’s.

Even though Samuel was away, Hannah’s dedication continued and her love carried on.

Why?

Because she was his mother and that was enough.

For Christians, that story reminds us of God’s love for us, equally never-ending.

Generally we think of God as a father but this story helps us see that, in many ways, God’s acts like a mother for us too.

He may not find socks or provide plasters, but his love surrounds us every moment and never leaves us.