Do you dread getting up in the morning? Not that you are ungrateful to be alive or that there’s no food in the fridge or that the kids are sick, but that you lack the strength to face the challenges of the day. At times, just thinking about the activities of the day makes me want to close my eyes and go back to sleep.
For a single parent, life is like a roller-coaster filled with mountains and valleys. Up in the morning, getting kids ready for school, making their lunches, throwing backpacks and jackets, and driving to school. I remember keeping lotions, combs, and at times, mouthwash in the car because sometimes we leave in a rush and have to finish dressing inside the vehicle.
What about driving around the town for extracurricular activities? I remember trading my day shifts for nights not because I love nights, but because that was the shift that afforded me the time to be with them. Take them to school in the morning, come home to catch 3-4 hours of sleep, wake up to prepare lunch, go back to school to pick them up, and have some time in the evening to attend their games before going back to work.
Some of you are working shifts or jobs that you hate just because it gives you some time to be with your kids. Most of the time, you keep fruits and water in the car just to have something to eat so that you won’t pass out as you are driving from one end of the city to another like a maniac.
I just want you to know that what you are going through does not take God by surprise. He knows it all – your tear-soaked pillow, your silent groan at night, the persistent headache due to insufficient sleep, and the unclean house due to a lack of time to stay home and clean.
If God has kept you and your children till today in spite of all that you all have passed through, He will take care of your tomorrow no matter how gloomy it looks. He has promised in the book of Hebrews 13 verse 5b that, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”
Dearly beloved, believe these words and you will sleep in the midst of chaos.
Fear and anxiety will lose their grip on you. Your children will also see the new you, relaxed with smiles and no tension, and they will, in turn, live peaceful lives.
Take the advice of your heavenly father in Matthew 6:28-34 especially verse 34.
“So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME”.
If one day is too much to handle, take it one hour at a time. Reward yourself for small successes, and this will inspire you to move forward.
You are stronger than what you think you are. So don’t give up on yourself or on your kids or allow people’s negative words to pull you down. Remember, you are doing the very best that you can, and God will reward your effort someday.
Just take life ” One day at a time”.