This past Sunday at my church was Testimony Sunday, which is a time for people in the congregation to come up to the front and tell a story of the Lord’s goodness in their life. As I sat there in my pew, a woman came up to the stage and started to share her story. Her testimony was simple, but sometimes those are the most powerful ones.
“I have seen the Lord move in my life. He entered into my life as a single mom and I have seen Him heal the wounds from a broken marriage, restore my trust in Him, and guide me as I lead my children. Now my children are grown and are doing well, and it’s all because of Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.”
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As she told her story, something happened inside my heart. Maybe it was because I was raised by a single mother. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that we minister to single moms and are well aware of the daily sacrifices they make for their children. Either way, her testimony wrecked me. What was at first tears streaming down my face turned into a full sob. I was a mess.
As I composed myself, I thought “I didn’t know I cared that much about the single mother. If I care this much, how much more does the Lord care for her?”
If you are reading this and you are a single mother, I want you to know how much the Lord cares about you. Yes, it is true that the Lord loves all people, but I believe the single mother holds a special place in His heart. He sees you and wants you to know that He is right beside you as you do the best that you can.
I remember when my parents divorced and how hard it was on my mother. As I have become a husband and father myself, I can only imagine what my mom was going through when she watched her husband and the father to her children walk out that door. That is why Psalm 34:18 speaks to me when it says “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” That verse came to life during the first years it was just me and her.
Due to my parent’s divorce, I went off the deep end. From the age of thirteen well into my twenties, I made a ton of terrible decisions because of the deep hurt I felt from my broken family. But now I look back and see that God was with me the entire way. It seems that Psalm 68:5 really is true. “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.” The Lord fathered me when it seemed like I was all alone. He took care of my mom every step of the way.
As I think back to my childhood and being raised by a single mother, I can see in hindsight the Lord’s hand over my mom and I. Even in my rebellion, and even when my mom was worn out and didn’t know what to do, the Lord guided both of us. When we didn’t know how we were going to make ends meet, He had a plan for us.
Jesus loves you and I have full confidence He will guide you just like He guided my mom and I. He will guide you when you don’t know where you’re going and He will protect you in the midst of danger.
Be encouraged today, single mom. There will come a day when you will have a powerful story to tell. A story that will give glory to God and show you just how much He loves you. Until that day comes, know that you have a Father who has good things in store for you and your children. On days when you don’t know how you are going to make it, know that God is looking out for you and will take care of you. But above all else, know that you are loved just as you are by a God who cares for you.
The Lord changed Zach Garza’s life through mentoring, when he was a kid heading down a dark path with no one to guide him. Now, as the founder and Executive Director of Forerunner Mentoring Program in Dallas, Texas, Zach equips and encourages mentors to build relationships with kids who were just like him. Using his experience as a teacher and coach in a low income school in his community, Zach built an organization that transforms the lives of kids through the power of positive mentoring relationships founded on Jesus Christ and by supporting the child growing up without a father in the home and the single mother. If you’d like to hear more from Zach, you can listen to him on his podcast “You Can Mentor” on all available podcast channels or visit youcanmentor.com.
The Life of a Single Mom is a national, faith-based, nonprofit that exists to see that no single mom walks alone. To date, the organization has worked with hundreds of churches to start a single mom’s support group in cities throughout the U.S. and beyond, as well as having served hundreds of thousands of single mothers with a variety of programs. Offering a large array of books, curriculum, training materials, online instructional videos, podcasts, newsletters, life skills education, and more, TLSM is one of the largest single mom organizations in the U.S. The robust selection of single mom programs focus on empowering single moms to grow spiritually, emotionally, financially, and parentally through Single Mom University, Single Moms Across America, the National TLSM Single Moms Conference, boot camps, and a variety of other programs. For more information, visit www.thelifeofasinglemom.com.
