Listen Now
I am a single mother. And like you, no doubt, I’ve been through a few things in life. I don’t understand how single moms who don’t know God handle life. It’s not easy. But even if you’re not in my exact situation, I think you will be encouraged by my story.
Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God that He knows me by name and knows everything about me. There are many ways to describe who God is to me, but for now I’ll just say He has been my hope, He’s provided for me, and most important, God has been my peace.
My son was three when I became a single mom. Since then, the Lord has allowed different events to take place on my journey. Not everything has been wonderful and exciting. During that time I lost my job and my home, went through some serious health issues, and faced loneliness. But, I have also become an overcomer!
To be sure, there were times when I wasn’t sure if we were going to make it. But I have learned more about God and His wisdom. And because of those lessons, I’ve been able to help others.
When this all started, I had just begun this life of being a Christian. And I was having a hard time trusting in a God who I could not see or hear.
Although I needed help, I knew the people who surrounded me were not the answer. Like me, most of the single mothers I knew were also struggling in the same areas I was — emotionally, financially, you name it. We could trade stories, but we were all confused as to what the solutions were. With confusion comes mistakes — mistakes that I knew I did not want for my son’s life or mine.
I will never forget one of the first times that I experienced the supernatural power of God in my life. Though it was over twenty years ago, it feels as if it were yesterday.
About a year after my divorce, I lost my job of nine years. My son’s father was nowhere in sight, and I was receiving no child support. My only immediate family was one sister who was having a difficult time of her own. So I felt all alone and unsure of my future and my son’s future.
Truth be told, I started to doubt that things would ever get better because I couldn’t see any hope. I even began to question my ability to raise my own son. I didn’t want him to be a statistic and fall into the wrong path because of the bad decisions I made. Like any mother, I wanted the best for him and I needed to believe that was possible.
So one morning I was talking to God about all this. If you could have peeked in my window, you would have seen me wailing and crying my heart out to Him. I told the Lord about my fears and my anxiety. I was asking Him for a word of reassurance.
While I was praying for what seemed to be a long time, I heard a knock on my door. It startled me because I didn’t expect anyone, especially at that time of the morning.
Cautiously, I opened the door and was surprised to see a lady from my church. We weren’t close, so I had no idea why she might be visiting. After all, no one knew anything about what was going on in my life because I never talked about it. I stood there with my red-rimmed eyes, staring at her standing there, until finally I asked her to come in.
Trying to be polite, I asked her if there was something that I could do for her. She stood there with a smile, but with a strange look on her face.
She said, “I apologize for coming uninvited, but as I was praying this morning, the Lord placed you in my heart. All I could see was you crying and talking to the Lord. I asked the Lord how I should pray for you. And what I heard was that I was to come and tell you, ‘You and your son are not alone. I will never leave you or forsake you.’”
At that point she went on to quote a particular scripture (Exodus 13:1-2) “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Dedicate to me every firstborn …they belong to Me.”
Being pretty new to all this, I asked her what this meant. She reassured me that my son would be okay, that he belonged to God, and His promises were trustworthy.
She then gave me a strong and warm hug, and I felt so safe in that embrace. I started to cry again, but this time my tears were of joy and hope that tomorrow would be okay.
That’s when God became so real to me. He sent someone to minister to me at my time of need. God knew that I needed a flesh-and-blood person to encourage me. He knew there was no way I could explain it away, or think it was my imagination or my mind telling me what I wanted to hear.
Only my amazing God would send someone I hardly knew to share with me exactly what I needed to know and hear.
After this miracle, my prayer life started to change. I actually started to pray expecting and believing God to do the impossible.
That wasn’t the last time I poured out my heart to God. Not at all. Life has its share of ups and downs — but the difference is that I expect God to do miraculous things.
I expect it because I’ve experienced how God has provided for me financially. I expect it because He has helped me emotionally. Truth is, I’m alive today because he healed me physically.
Is it any wonder that spiritually I have grown? God has been with me in the good times and the bad. He has NEVER ever deserted me. He heard the cry of a very scared young woman.
I don’t know you by name, but God does. You are in my prayers and on His heart. I know He hears you. Will you listen to His calm voice of reassurance?
Isaiah 41:10 The MSG
Jeremiah 29:11 GWT
Hebrews 11:1 GWT