Like most moms I find myself constantly running on empty. The gas tank gets empty on the mornings when I am running late and don't have time to stop. The cabinets and fridge always seem to become empty during the weeks where I don't have the time and energy to go to the grocery store. The closets and dressers get empty and when that happens it means the laundry room is FULL so that's not good either! I'm sure most moms can relate to all of this plus much, much more.
All of these things sometimes leave me feeling mentally & emotionally empty. Like yesterday, we had a GREAT Memorial Weekend with my cousin and her family. So much love and laughter going on for 2 days made the kids and I so happy & lighthearted. And then we had to say goodbye. We head down the road and the empty feeling sets in around me. The feeling of missing my family already. The heaviness of knowing that I'm going home to a pile of dirty clothes and a roof that will be leaking weighs down my mind and heart. The reality of the week ahead and the bills that are due totally empty's that happy lighthearted feeling that I'd had. Then the kids fall asleep and then the car really seemed empty. Its and hour and a half drive home and I was running on empty ( not the gas tank this time though thank you Jesus). But He used this empty moment to teach me. As I was driving the scenic rout through the Hoosier National Forest the sun was shinning through the trees, the beauty of creation showing all around and I started to talk to Jesus about my empty feeling. I started to tell Him what was making me feel empty. I was honest with my Heavenly Father. I didn't have to hide the empty feeling from Him. I didn't have to really explain it to Him either! He knows already because he knows my heart. He knows my heart because I chose to let him live there. I chose to let him fill me with His Holy Spirit, follow Him and accept the position He gave me as His precious daughter. I am never truly empty because I am His! Jesus is always there ready to fill me if I just ask Him. That place where we feel empty is never out of His reach. Its my choice to live in emptiness or live in the fullness of Jesus. I'm thankful that yesterday He took one of my empty moments to remind me of how full I really am when I'm looking at Him. Scriptures for Today: ~ 2 Corinthians 6:18 " I will be a father to you and you will be my sons and Daughters, says the Lord Almighty". ~ Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit . ~ Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God..
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As a single Mama I feel I have a major enemy in business. Satan will use business in life to rob me of the joys of the day. Yesterday was one of those busy days. We had school and work. An Afternoon of errands to run, meetings, church and somewhere in all that I knew my sweet kidos would need supper! By the time we got home we were all ready for bed. But after Id tucked my sweet kids in I turned from their rooms and saw my house! This same house that I had spent hours cleaning just days before promising myself the entire time that Id NEVER let it get that messy again. But there it was, on the verge on looking like the same mess Id already cleaned. So not wanting to feel defeated I start to the kitchen. I grabbed the Dawn and started with the dishes. I know its silly but some of you will get it- I would have rather stood there in one spot washing dishes then make numerous exhausting trips back and forth from dishwasher to cabinet to draw unloading it. So I stand there, felling zapped from the busy day and an old song pops into my head, so I start to sing: The joy of the Lord is my strength The joy of the Lord is my strength The joy of the Lord is my strength The joy of the Lord is my strength. I notice as I'm singing that my mind feels clearer, my heart feels full of peace and my body feels so much lighter. This was a moment of wonderful joy for me.! Alone with my Jesus ( and a sink full of dirty dishes) I was able to bask in His love and find joy in Him! Weariness and business did not win, they weren't allowed to steal my joy last night! I had sought only strength to take care of the chores at hand, but He blessed me with so much more. ~Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, " Go and enjoy the choice food and sweet drinks and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, For the Joy of the Lord is your Strength." View "The Joy of The Lord is my Strength" Song Admitting that I'm wrong is hard for me. Its like admitting defeat! Admitting that I'm sorry, well that goes right along with me being wrong SO that's not easy either!
Admitting to my child that I'm both wrong and sorry. Forget it! I'm the Mama! I don't have to explain, I don't have to apologize. But wait....I WAS wrong. I AM sorry. So whats getting in my way of owning this to my two sweet kids and asking for their forgiveness? One terrible word...Pride. My pride causes a lot of pain in my life. In Proverbs 16:18 it says " Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" Pretty simple right? Pride is destructive and also gives you a bad attitude. Then why do I struggle with it? Because in trying to let go of my pride I am letting go of my own power and my own authority and learning to submit to Jesus and His will in my life. That's hard for moms. That's hard for single moms who feel the need to " keep it together". Most days I pray for Jesus to help me, lead me, show me. Yet how many times have I let my pride get in the way of Him doing just that? And if I cant submit my pride to Jesus and let him do with it what He wants, how can I ask my children to do the same? So today my thoughts are focused on laying this burden of pride right at the feet of Jesus. Telling my kids I'm sorry, and being willing to admit my mistakes. Letting them see in me an attitude of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ~ Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. The reasons I chose the name Single Mama for Jesus for this blog were various. 1~ Single I'm currently going through a divorce. Very sad when a family crumbles, however how freeing spiritually it is to be placed in a position to grow in Jesus alone and as a single individual depending solely on Him! 2~ Mama I'm Mama to my sweet kidos. As is my own mother my Mama. My whole life there has been something so soothing and comforting in that name. Occasionally I'll get a Mom, Mommy, or in a moment of their pure irritation a MOTHER! But for the most part I'm Mama and always have been. It is a joy to hear my children call me Mama and I can think of no other name Id ever love better! 3~ For Jesus Jesus GAVE me these to precious gifts. They are under my care for a little while but they are His children! He loves them way more then I could ever even imagine ( just as He does all His children). He's entrusted them to me to teach and train them so that they will grow in Him and share Jesus with others. But most important Hes called me as their Mama to lead by example. So its up to me to learn, lead, an practice what I want them to know. I want them to know that without Jesus we can do nothing. I want them to share that with Jesus all things are possible. I want them to remember that we are never alone He is always with us . I want them to believe in Jesus and know that all salvation rests in Him. I want them to know, share, remember, & believe that the greatest thing in life is to love God, love others and let that be what changes the world. So what do I need to do as a Single Mama? I need to know that I cant do anything without Jesus! I need to share with others how all things are possible when you have Jesus in your heart! I need to remember that no matter what I'm walking through I'm not walking alone, my Jesus is right here with me! I need to love God with all my heart! I need to show love to those who ,lets face it, are not so lovable at times.....even when in the checkout line at Walmart! Can I do any of this on my own power? No. And that's ok. In fact that's better then OK! Cause my Jesus can do anything! Even use a simple single Mama like me. Scriptures for today~ John 15:5 Philippians 4:13 Isaiah 41:10 Acts 16:31 |
AuthorI'm a single mama of 2 great kidos seeking and searching for Gods will in our lives :) Archives
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