The Single Mom Life

I don’t write much about being a single mom. Frankly, I sometimes feel like I am an outcast even among other Christians. I feel undatable because I don’t fit into that mold that people think of when they see a mom and her 6-year-old son. I sometimes walk into church on Sunday mornings with more fear than I should.

I fear not fitting into my church family because of my past experiences with rejection. Managing emotions can be a hard thing to balance while learning how to move forward. As single moms we have to constantly remind ourselves that the promises in the Bible are true for us too. God promises to protect and love us. He promises us that we never have to live in fear because He is right there with us. One verse I hold on rather tightly to is in Isaiah.

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
-Isaiah 41:10

This is not just a scripture that you can hope maybe someday comes to light; it is a promise for you and me right now! It takes time to realize that we are all broken, and just like all sin is sin, well, all brokenness is brokenness. When we come before our Heavenly Father, we are equals in our sin and in our brokenness. Some days are going to be harder than others, but that is when you remind yourself of the promises from God. He never lets us down, he doesn’t forget us, nor will he ever never abandon us. Even when others have let you down or outright rejected you, God will not. God will give you the strength you need, when you need it.

How do I know this?  How can I trust God?

As a single mom who has struggled with these things, I have seen God come through and take care of my son and me when everyone else has turned the other way. I have experienced God’s mercy: I have not earned it, yet he gives it so freely. After my divorce, there were days I wasn’t sure how I could take care of my son. I spent a year after my divorce just crying out to God and asking for HIS help because I knew I could count on him. Granted, there were times when my doubt tried to overcome my hope in Jesus Christ. There were some seriously scary times, but in every single situation God never let me down. He made me even stronger than before. Every single time, God came through and pulled us through and gave us a renewed heart.

So here’s some encouragement for you single moms: God loves the single mom because He is doing a new thing–a thing that couldn’t have been done in your life before now. Your time is now because you were created for this moment. God created you and your life before you were even born (Psalm 139).

It’s not going to be easy, but I guarantee it will be worth every second of it. God has set you apart for this time of singleness for a reason. He has allowed certain things to come into your life to call out the greatest parts of you and who He created you to be. You have a great purpose as a single, to do work you couldn’t have accomplished being married.

It’s time to embrace this title we have been so afraid to grasp.

I’m a single mom.