Hope and Healing for Single Momsনমুনা

REPLACE: THE IMPACT OF PAIN

Ephesians 3:16–19 According to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Mindful Minute

"Lord, this hurts, this hurts, this hurts."

Some days, there are no other words. The ache feels rooted in your bones.

Single mom life isn’t just hard, it can feel unrelenting. Wake up, push forward, do all the things: run continuous loads of laundry, manage emails, pay too many bills, troubleshoot tantrums, read bedtime stories, comfort your crying child, and silently wipe your own tears after they’ve gone to bed.

And in the stillness of night, you whisper, Who takes care of me?

You see your child’s heartbreak and do your best to soothe it, even as your own still throbs. The one who promised to love, honor, and cherish you is now a source of absence, confusion, and pain. You were left holding the pieces of a future you didn’t shatter.

Deep hurt often shows up in loud, disruptive ways. For adults, it comes in the form of reacting rather than responding—quick to anger, shutdowns, panic, or numbness. For your child, it often comes as behavior issues—outbursts, tantrums, and withdrawal. As your child becomes a frequent flyer to the principal’s office, you may feel the judgmental stares.

Whispers form in your mind: They think I’m a bad parent. They think my child is just trouble. Maybe I’ve failed.

But let’s speak truth.

Your child is not a bad kid.
You are not a bad mom.
What you both are… is heartbroken.

And God sees that heartbreak.

Ephesians 3 reminds us that healing doesn’t come from trying harder or fixing every problem ourselves. Healing comes through the Spirit strengthening us in our inner being. It’s not surface-deep or based on outward performance. It’s soul-deep. It is God’s Spirit, not your striving, that builds resilience and brings restoration.

You and your child were made to be rooted and grounded in love. Far from wishful thinking, this is biblical truth. When pain tries to label you as broken beyond repair, or your child as “too much,” you can replace those lies with truth.

• You are not defined by what happened to you.
• You are not disqualified because of your status.
• You are deeply loved so much by Christ that His love surpasses knowledge.
• Being a single mom is your experience, not your identity.

Let that sink in: His love for you isn’t logical. It’s bigger than logic. It’s deeper than wounds. Wider than heartbreak. Higher than fear. Stronger than the shame or rejection you feel.

You can replace lies with God’s truth when the world tries to write a different narrative. Instead of replaying your pain, let God’s Word reframe your reality and replace hurt’s grip with the fullness of God’s love.

Your child’s behavior doesn’t reflect your failure, only your child’s need for healing. Your moments of exhaustion don’t reflect your worth, but highlight your reliance on the One who cares for the caretaker.

Let God's truth be louder than pain.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, sometimes I feel so overwhelmed that I don’t know how to keep going. The pain is loud, and the lies scream that I’m not enough. But You, Lord, are greater. Replace the ache of abandonment with the anchor of Your presence. Let Your Spirit strengthen me in my inner being. Help me believe I am rooted in love, even when life feels unstable. May I live from Your fullness and help my child heal in that same love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.