Let’s talk turkey. Life is difficult. However, our God is bigger than “difficult.” You can fly like an eagle even if you are a single mother. So how do you handle life’s potholes, pests, and perils?
You can develop a plan, realize your passion, and pursue power in your life. Then you will not just cope with the problems, you will FLY!
THE POTHOLES
You are driving along. The road seems smooth when all of a sudden you hit it, a serious pothole. It jars your car, maybe even blows a tire. What is your first reaction? Does it stop you? Does it cause alarm? How you react to life’s potholes is determined by your soul’s stamina.
Your Plan
The plan is to have a spiritual practice, to build spiritual stamina. What is a Spiritual Practice? It is the regular or full-time performance of actions and activities undertaken for the purpose of cultivating spiritual development. You need a plan. Try this path to keep you on track.
PATH
“Create a New PATH”
Prayer
Another way
Thankfulness
Healing with Humor
P– You begin with prayer. Prayer is the foundation for a path that takes you to your destination. Here is the best prayer I know of for this situation:
Serenity Prayer
God,
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The Courage to change the things I can
And the Wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as He would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen
A – Do things A NewWay. Each day do something different. Take a different route to the work. Go to a different grocery store. Make a new acquaintance. Do or say something that is out of your comfort zone.
Jesus did things another, A New Way – He healed on the Sabbath. He extended Moses laws. He questioned the Pharisees. He overturned the tables in the Temple. He let the adulteress go.
A new way to do common, everyday things can change your mood and your environment. Doing something as simple as rearranging pictures on the wall, moving your furniture, or taking a new route for a walk will give you the sense that you do have the option of taking charge of things in your life.
T– Thankfulness
Thankfulness is an important attitude changer for most of us. We know that we should be grateful, and yet we complain. Making a conscious effort to be thankful will bring surprising changes in your life.
H – Healing with Humor is a lifesaver. Will Rogers said, “A man grows up the day he first laughs at himself.” Humor is a key for healing that takes the sharp edges off life. I admire people who have a knack for being humorous. As I’ve reached my senior years, I have learned to laugh more often. It’s amazing how much better I feel just by finding the humor in a situation.
To persevere past the potholes of single parenting, execute your plan and stay on the PATH.
Look for Part 2 of this blog series next month that will address “The Pests of Single Parenting.”
About Gail Showalter
Gail raised three children as a single mother before she remarried. She has experienced the potholes, pests, and perils of being the single head-of-household. As an educator in regular and special education for twenty years she knows a great deal about child development and how to handle kids. She is the founder of SMORE for Women, a nonprofit whose goal is Single Moms, Overjoyed, Rejuvenated, and Empowered. She is a Certified Professional Coach and her stories have been published in several Christian books and magazines. Her book, Living Learning Loving is available on Amazon.