Made for More
This week my first published work is officially available for purchase! Made for More is a Bible study for single moms or anyone whose life hasn’t gone exactly as planned. I am not a single mother, so I want to share with you how I got involved in Plus One Parents and why I think single mothers play a vital role in our church.
Michelle was my neighbor in our old neighborhood. It was a new construction community and we all moved in around the same time from other local communities and from all over the country. We were excited to meet our neighbors and form community, especially me since we had just moved from out of state. I remember meeting Michelle because she hosted a Bible study for some women in the neighborhood. At the time, we both had newborns and were in a busy season. I had no idea there were other things going on in her house and that she would be divorced in a year and no longer in our neighborhood. It’s also interesting that after she moved out of the neighborhood, our friendship really kicked off.
During those years, and primarily through our church, the Lord grew in me an awareness and compassion for vulnerable children. James 1:27 states, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” I believe the widows today are not only women whose husbands have died but also women with no husbands. According to Pew Research, the US has the world’s highest number of children living in single-parent households. The stats say that almost 25% of US kids live in single-parent households! The church today has an incredible opportunity to wrap around these moms so they are not doing this alone.
I myself come from a lineage of divorce and second marriages from my parents and my grandparents, so this issue hits close to home. Even so, I don’t think I ever really understood what it must feel like for a single mom to carry the weight of raising her children alone, providing for them, and trying to disciple them all while often feeling judged walking through the doors of the church because of a pre-conceived idea of what led her to this state in the first place. I can’t say that I haven’t ever judged someone by assuming that she wouldn’t be in that situation if she had just made a different choice. Wooh- that was hard to type. It’s hard to admit some of the hardness in our own hearts.
I am so thankful that the Lord has brought single moms into my life to show me how He sees them and the blessing they are to our community. Michelle joined our church community group, which I know was a big step for her because we are a group of married couples. How brave for her to walk into my home knowing she may feel like the odd man out. Our community group has learned so much from her perspective. As she has been vulnerable in sharing her needs, our group has gotten to serve her and her kids to help meet them. I have seen how closely she has had to trust Jesus and rely on Him when it seemed her world was falling apart. When resources have been tight, when health has been in decline, and as she has worked through healing from abuse, she has taught me how close God is to those who rely on Him. She has also been such a blessing in my life by consistently pointing me to the Lord and his Word when I feel overwhelmed.
When the life we had planned falls apart, we can choose to hit our knees in surrender and watch the Lord show up. Michelle has a deep faith and trust in the Lord in areas I haven’t experienced because of her circumstances. I am so grateful that she has been kind enough to share them with me. Made for More came out of some conversations we had about how God has shown up for His people in scripture in the past and how He is still doing it today. He doesn’t discount us because we have made mistakes or because we have been rejected or discarded by others. Instead, He wants to use those parts of your life and redeem them because that is who He is – a God who sees us and a God who redeems us for His glory. Michelle has done a fabulous job of pulling women out of the Bible and showing how God has met them in the mess of their lives to redeem their stories. I had the privilege of writing about how moms can tangibly teach their children these stories and apply the principles in their lives today.
Who are the single moms or women who have experienced rejection in your life? God has you in the same “circles” for a reason. It may be awkward initially, but I would encourage you to get to know them even if they seem shut off. See if the Lord has resourced you in an area that could benefit someone else, even if it is just words of encouragement or a listening ear. Are you making dinner tonight? Could you make an extra casserole to bring over to her? As Mother’s Day is approaching, I invite you to pray for how you can serve someone who may not be getting the same celebration as you. Maybe bringing her flowers and a copy of this devotional as a gift would be a sweet way to start.