Being a single parent is hard. All of the responsibility of raising this tiny human that looks exactly like you, with no one to turn to and say "Do you know what your child just said" is a tough pill to swallow. I've really been a single parent since I became a parent all together, but fervently since she was two. If it wasn't for my mother's help, we (Bella and I) would be who knows where, but that's enough for a different post in itself.
The question I think every single parent asks themselves is "How do I do this all by myself." I mean raising a child with a companion is hard enough, but to do it alone... It has got to be impossible, right? The truth? The truth is, you don't have to do it alone, unless you WANT to do it alone. The truth is, there is someone who is begging to help lighten your load, I'll get to that in a moment.
For the last two months, I've been injured with a torn ACL and meniscus. I didn't even know I had a meniscus until they told me that mine was all messed up. I have been on crutches, in a big, black, itchy, knee stabilizer, and have been unable to do anything for myself for the most part, much less take care of Bella. (This is when my mom comes in, riding her big white horse to save the day.) I have had pity party after pity party. I've cried, screamed, stayed in bed all day, asking God how I was supposed to take care of this baby by myself, when I can't even take care of myself. What he filled my heart with hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized I was doing alone by choice. I'm not talking about my choice to not be with her biological father, I'm talking about my choice of not letting her Heavenly Father step in. I picked up my bible for the first time in months, and there it was, in black and white, "Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. It was like He was sitting in front of me saying "HEY BROOKE!!! LET ME HELP!"
Giving all of your troubles to him is hard. I've put my cares in him so many times, to wake up the next morning and still be worrying about them. I've spent night after night worrying about court, money, bills, and if I'm going to be able to work the rest of this year... The night that I read Matthew 11:28 it was like an elephant decided to get off of my chest and I could breathe again.
God WANTS so desperately to help you. The whole reason for His Son's time on this Earth was to help you! All you have to do to get his help is simply ASK! You can't ask and then keep worrying though, that's not how this works, believe me. You have to whole-heartedly give him all of your worries and cares. He promises in Isaiah 40:31 that whoever trusts Him will find their strength renewed. He means it. If you just allow him to take on all of it, the bill that can't be paid, the job you don't know if you'll get, the dance class that your baby wants to take but you can't afford, the car smoking on your way to work, the torn ACL and meniscus, He will take care of YOU because HE LOVES YOU!
When you're up at night (and I know ever single mom and dad do it), staring at your baby, worried and wondering how you can do it for one more minute alone, all you have to do is ask Him for His help. You don't have to do it alone. You don't have to worry. You don't have to take on this whole world by yourself. He will take it on with you. He WANTS to take it on FOR you, YOU just have to LET him.
XoXo,
The SINGLE Southern Mama!
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