By Sherma-Jacqueline Felix
I remember dropping my daughter off at Children’s Church on Mother’s Day, every year while she was a toddler, knowing that when I picked her up after the adult service, she would be proudly clutching the Mother’s Day card she made for me there. I know this may shock some, but honestly, I did not look forward to those homemade cards. To me, it reeked of poverty. It reminded me of what I thought was missing. Maybe, if there had been another gift besides the homemade cards, it would have been a much better situation.
Sometimes the cards would be made of poster boards, and there would be pretty leaves that were stuck on the inside. Sometimes there would be a cute pencil drawing of her hand, colored in with crayons. Or a stick drawing of a family that really wasn’t us. I received them all with huge smiles and great big hugs, but I really didn’t like any of it.
I remember looking at the stick figures of the people drawn on the card one year and I asked her about it. The picture was of a mom and a dad with 3 or 4 kids. I thought to myself, “That’s not even us! What does she see in her little mind?” She was only 4 years old at the time, and she said that was how she saw us, she never saw just me and her, even though that was the reality. I was very surprised! In the natural it was just me and her, but in her mind, she saw a big family complete with a father? How can this be?
When I asked the Lord about it, He shared with me that as she was praying about it herself (at 4 years old), He showed her that HE was her Father and HE was my Husband! He reminded me that we should count on and depend on Him and Him alone! In a recent article titled, “Confessions of the Daughter of a Single Mom,” my daughter wrote:
“I never felt out of place or less than any of my friends, because they grew up with both parents and I didn’t. I never felt like not having a father figure in my life took anything away from me. I never felt like I missed out on all the important things that girls are supposed to do with their dads. Maybe because I did them with my mom? Who knows? The fact that my mother helped me pray through everything for the past 18 years was a definite plus.”
Those words really blessed me, because they took me back to a time when she was just a toddler and I thought that she was craving a ‘regular’ family life. I’m glad that to us, ‘regular’ meant that we were living in the love of God, day in and day out. Whether it was just the 2 of us, or even if there were 5 of us.
I really want to encourage you today. If you are raising your children by yourself, and Mother’s Day and holidays are a sad time for you, don’t despair! Jesus wants to be the Father and the Husband. He wants you to depend on Him. He wants to fill in the blanks for you and your children, and He wants you to know that it won’t always be that way.
As much of a challenge as it is to raise children alone, there is always Grace that is available to help. God isn’t surprised that you are a single parent. He knew about it before you were born, and He already put in you, every good thing that you would need, to carry out the assignment of raising the children alone.
Enjoy this Mother’s Day, knowing that your life, and the lives of your children are in the hands of God. Whether you’re a single parent or married with children, God is present. The more you focus on Him, the easier the journey will become, because your attention won’t be on what you believe is missing in your life, but on the God Who fills the void and replaces every thing that is missing! Happy Mothers Day!
Picture courtesy: www.beautifulwalldecals.com
#ElevateYourHeart
© 2015 Sherma-Jacqueline Felix. All rights reserved.
About the author :
Sherma-Jacqueline is a Bible Teacher, Conference Speaker, Mentor, and Passionate Writer. She has always enjoyed writing, and started off by keeping a diary in her teens. She began prayer journaling over 18 years ago and began teaching on Prayer 11 years ago. Her desire is to see the women of God rise up and be all that they’re called to be: Bold, Strong, Courageous and overflowing with His Word!
Visit her at: shermajacqueline.tumblr.com