Wendy Stacy - 2007
A Message From Wendy Stacy, 2007 Single Mother of the Year
“Mom,” my thirteen year old son, Tyler, said as he hopped onto my bed. “Do you feel God’s presence in our house?” Sensing a possible trick question (he is thirteen, after all), I answered simply, “Yes, I do, do you?” His quick answer stunned and yet thrilled me at the same time. “Yes, I do,” he said, “I feel it in the peace and in the joy in our house…and in our laughter.”
These
words spoke volumes to me. You see, I must admit that our house has not
always been filled with peace and joy. I have been a single mom (more
or less) for twelve of Tyler’s thirteen years of life. After my
divorce, I was terribly hurt and resentful. I was bitter and angry.
While I was careful never to talk badly about Tyler’s dad around him, I
know that I carried that anger and bitterness into every aspect of my
life. It was not until after my second marriage failed within months of
our wedding day and I learned that the baby girl I was carrying would
be born with Down syndrome that I finally learned the truth about God’s
love and forgiveness. It took several years of strong Christian
counseling and spending lots of one-on-one time with the Lord for me to
unlearn patterns of unforgiveness that I had carried on from my
childhood. I am so grateful however to have been able to make those
life changes for my children will not carry on a legacy built on pain,
rather a legacy built on love.
When I chose to become a parent, I vowed that I would be a good parent. For me that means daily turning my children over to God, praying with them and over them, and allowing the Lord to lead our paths. He has been tremendously faithful to my little family. He has flooded our home with His light and love. I have come to lean on Him with the full recognition that He truly is not only my Lord and Savior, but, my Father, my Husband, my Protector, my Comforter, my Provider and much, much more.
As a single mom, it is easy to sometimes feel so alone. We can be so busy taking care of everybody else’s needs that we forget to take care of our own. Make some time to spend with our Lord today. Allow His grace and comfort to capture you right where you are. Know that our Lord Emmanuel, “God With Us”, will never leave you nor forsake you. Allow Him to strengthen you, to heal you, and to meet your every need. He will if you will but ask and allow Him to do so.
Arise Ministries offers single moms opportunity for fellowship and learning, all within a “safe” environment. The “Survive and Thrive” conference is a place where you will find other women who, though their paths may be different, truly understand the life you live as a single mom. It is tremendously comforting to spend some positive and uplifting time with other single moms. It allows us to make some new friends and to draw from each other’s strengths. I hope to see you at “Survive and Thrive” this June!