I really don’t see what the big deal is – this single mom thing is cake. Easy Peasy. Seriously. Why do people act like it’s so difficult? Why are people always telling me things like: “I don’t know how you do it!” and “I could never do what you do!”?
I have a good job. I have a decent income. My daughter is obedient, respectful, smart, and well-behaved.
All those verses you read about children obeying their parents – I drilled those into my daughter. They are, after all, of utmost importance!
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (Ephesians 6:1)
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)
I expect that of my child. I demand that of my child. And she is more than willing to comply.
Apparently, I’m just really good at this mom thing.
Embarrassingly enough, that was my attitude for the first few years of my single mom journey. One of “Oh yeah, I got this!”
And then came my son…
…Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. (2 Corinthians 12:7)
Yep, that’s him. The thorn in my flesh. My tormentor. And dare I say, the messenger of Satan?! (That’s certainly how it feels some days!)
And my eyes were opened. Suddenly, “I don’t got this” so much anymore. At least not on my own. I had become conceited in my abilities as a mom – as a single mom – and God blessed me with an awareness that I didn’t quite have the level of control I thought I had.
And what a blessing that was!
In my weakness, He called me to lean on Him! To call out to Him! And ultimately, to trust in Him! He taught me about grace, and about His perfect strength. He showed me my pride and called me to humility. He taught me about struggles, challenges, and adversity – not that I’d never experienced those things before, but I’d never experienced them fully in the way He intended me to experience them!
He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Both of my children have blessed me tremendously, in ways unique to the personalities God gave them. From my daughter I learn about faith, joy, and obedience; while my son teaches me humility, weakness, and grace.
What perfect balance God has in His plans!
