The single mom
By LYNDON J. DECKER
Pastor, First Southern Baptist Church
This Sunday we are going to celebrate Mother's Day. This is a day when we pay special attention to our mothers. The Bible tells us we should honor our mothers and pay them all due respect.
Today I want to draw our attention to a special group of mothers who may need a special boost. They are the single moms.
I have not been a single parent so I cannot identify with them but will try to identify some issues they may have. The Bible gives us a story of a single mom who faced some issues which no doubt single moms face today. In Genesis chapter 16 we have the record of Hagar, a single mother. She was the handmaid of Sarah and had a child by Abraham at the urging of Sarah. There rose a conflict in the home which eventually resulting in sending Hagar out of the home.
First of all we discover that her means and resources were very meager. She was sent away with some bread and a little water. Many of the single moms today find themselves struggling to meet the needs of their households. They may have jobs that do not provide adequately for the needs they have. They do not have the support of a male companion to help relieve the load. As we continue to follow the story of Hagar in chapter 21, we find her supply depleted.
Secondly, we find Hagar is in a state of despair. Her sustenance was gone and she had nowhere to go to supply her needs in the desert. She placed her son under a bush to protect him from the sun and left him to die. She left him and went some distance so she would not see him die. It was as though she just gave up and the future was totally hopeless. No doubt there may be a single mom reading this who feels this way. Your resources are very meager, your energy is depleted, and the future seems very dark. You feel you are alone and no one really cares about your plight.
Thirdly, we see God responds to the cry of the boy and speaks to Hagar. God tells her to pick up her son and hold him for he has a future. In this desperate hour God makes a promise to Hagar. He tells her that her son will become a great nation. Even though in the midst of desperation God gives hope for survival. God did care about her and her plight. God's promises are just as sure for today's single moms as they were for Hagar. When trust is placed in Him there will be hope.
Fourthly, we notice God made provision. She had run out of water and now God provided a well from which she could draw. She now could give her son a drink and he would survive. How gracious God is in providing what is needed just when it is needed. The passage tells us the son became an archer who would have a means of providing for himself in the future.
I am sure there may be a single mom reading this who feels nobody cares and life may not be worth living. Remember that even if those around you don't seem to care, God always does and His promises still are valid today. There are times when He may test you to the nth degree but He is able to supply what you need. Give Him your trust today.
How about the rest of us? Is there a single mom who needs our care and concern? Let's make this day special for her too.
Artwork on display
at Hillsboro library
Artwork from local artists is on display through the month of May at Hillsboro Public Library.
Artists are from Letty Enns' painting group and the artwork is in the medium of oil and watercolor.
Featured artists include Geneva Becker, Delores Funk, Jeanie Funk, Doris Guhr, Edith Rempel, Shirley Reusser, Mary Summers, Billy Kueser, and Letty Enns.
