As I woke up this morning…I really felt like, so what, it’s Mother’s Day…just another day. I know, that is a bad attitude to have and it sounds worse than what I meant by it. I guess I just felt like, I am a mom every day and today isn’t any different. I am still going to have to do laundry, cook dinner, argue with kids to take their showers and all the other things that I have to do on a daily basis. So when I thought about writing a Mother’s Day post, I thought, I don’t feel very encouraging today! So I looked back to what I wrote last year. It is amazing how God uses our own words sometimes to speak to us. I have said it a lot of times, I truly believe that God had me write this blog to talk to myself as much as to try and help others. So since I know I needed to re-read this, I thought perhaps, this will encourage another single-mom as well again today! Happy Mother’s Day!
One of the greatest gifts that God has ever given me is the gift of being a mom. If you knew me back in my 20’s that statement would probably shock you. You see for years, I swore I would never have kids. Honestly, I thought that I would make a terrible mother. But thankfully, God knows us far better than we know ourselves. I can’t imagine my life without my kids and I certainly never want to.
Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate our moms, but I also think it is a day to celebrate being a mom and celebrate other moms! So today, to celebrate all the single-moms out there, I wanted to remind you of a few things you might have forgotten along the way of trying to raise your kids alone, being both mom and dad to them. I know the secret pain and stress you go through each day, because I go through it myself. I know you doubt, you worry, you cry, I know. But I also know that:
You Are Brave
Being a single mom takes a lot of bravery. Whether it is dealing with spiders, mice, or bumps in the night, you are there. You handle it because you have to. You take those “man” jobs and you own them. While your own heart is pounding you check everything so that your daughter who has super sonic hearing can go back to sleep knowing everything is ok.
When you have shut yourself in your room because tears are streaming down your face and you just don’t know how to go on, you bravely get up at the knock on the door, when a little voice follows saying “Mom, I need you.”
No matter how many nights you cry yourself to sleep, the next morning you get up, hold your head high and do it all over again. You are BRAVE!
You Are Known
I love Psalm 139. So much of this passage in The Psalms reminds us that God knows everything about us. He has known us before we were even born, before the creation of the world. He knows every word we say before we say it, every thought we have. No matter where we go, He is there.
He also knows about all our hurts and holds all our tears.
Psalm 56:8 (NLT)
” You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.”
Sometimes as single-moms we feel like nobody knows what we are going through, nobody sees our hurt, but the truth is, we are fully Known and Seen by the God who created us and knew every page of our story before it was written. He knew that we would go through this season in our lives and He gives us the strength we need to not only get through it, but to be a light to others in the process.
You Are Loved
I think one thing that many of us feel as single-moms is unloved. Many of us have been either betrayed, abandoned, or abused by the person we were meant to spend our lives, by the person who was called to love us as Christ loved the church. And often times, we may be the one that our children yell at because they can’t yell at their dad. We may take the blame and be the ones who have to hear the “I hate yous and you’re the worst mom ever” and even though we know where those hurtful words come from, we always worry that they are true.
But I am here to remind you today that You Are LOVED! Not only are you loved by those precious gifts that call you mom, but you are loved by the God of the universe. The One who created you and all that you see. The One who has unlimited power loves YOU intimately and He will NEVER EVER hurt you, abandon you, or betray you!
You Are Amazing
Today I want you to remember that you are Amazing! You may be walking a difficult path right now, but you are crushing it! Regardless of what your past held for you, your future is bright and God has a great plan for you and for your children. Focus your attention on Him today and celebrate! Celebrate the woman He is leading you to become, celebrate the beautiful children He gave you that made you a mom, and celebrate all the moms you know by letting them know how awesome they are!
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