As a woman in ministry, and a mother of three boys, you would think that "mothering" would come naturally to me as a pastor/chaplain. But I don't know that it does. So this meditation is a good reminder to me of the importance of being patient and gentle with those in our care. It reminds me of the saying, "They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel" (Maya Angelou). On another note, it is comforting to me as a female pastor to affirm the feminine side of ministry as not just nice, but necessary. There are times when all pastors need to be "mothering," just as God is sometimes mothering with us. As I reflect, I am probably a better and more natural mother than I think - that is one of the liabilities of motherhood - we never think we have done enough.