Single parents: you have a calling and a purpose!

God sets the lonely in families… — Psalm 68:6

Single Parent Families in the Family of God Today's inspiration comes from: God's Grace for Every Family by Anna Meade Harris You've noticed her the past few Sundays now, slipping into the pews at the back as the service starts. She patiently guides a little girl and an even littler boy to sit on either side of her and pulls out two Bible story coloring books to settle them in while she listens intently. You've tried to catch her after the service, but she's usually leaving as the pastor pronounces the benediction.   You've never seen a man with her, and she doesn't wear a wedding ring.   Or maybe she's in the Bible study you lead. A working professional, this mom is confident, well-dressed, and so busy she only comes once a month. At your first meeting she shared that she is raising her son alone, but you don't know anything more than that.   You are well aware that God commands us to care for widows and orphans (James 1:27). You also know that the biblical word for "widow" here doesn't apply solely to women whose husbands have died; it means "bereft," and describes any woman who is without the care, support, and comfort that comes with having a husband. The question plagues you every time one of these women moves through your peripheral vision: I know God wants me to care for her and her children, but how?   God sets the lonely in families… — Psalm 68:6   And according to Jesus, becoming a believer significantly expands our definition of family beyond simple biology,   …whoever does the will of my Father in Heaven is my brother and sister and mother. — Matthew 12:50   In other words, God sets the lonely in His family. God sets the lonely in His family. God sets the lonely in His family. When my husband died after a battle with colon cancer, I was left to raise my three sons alone. By God's grace, our church loved us well, but worshipping alongside happy two-parent families felt awkward at times. Our family no longer looked like the typical Christian family – mom, dad, and kids — so the programs, Sunday school classes, sermon illustrations, and overall posture of the church did not take families like mine into account. The place where we might hope to find refuge became a place where our belonging felt tenuous and strange. It was tempting to distance ourselves from the church.   But patient brothers and sisters entered into the awkwardness with us and loved us anyway, because that's what family does. They set about learning what life was now like for my sons and me, asking good questions about how we felt and what we needed. Our family was not a problem to be solved, but a mother and children to be enfolded and loved as part of the body of Christ. Simple gestures of close friendship dignified our neediness, such that we were not shamed but encouraged to ask for and accept help.   That love often took on a practical dimension. At the church potluck, we always had chairs saved for us to sit. We were invited for Christmas dinners, grilling in the back yard, and weekends at the lake. Men in our church taught my boys to tie a tie, repair a hole in the drywall, and change a flat tire (because their mom is not handy!). Our church family prayed for us, attended baseball games, and remembered the anniversary of their dad's death.    In turn, my sons and I showed our church family how to receive.   It's tempting for a single parent to reject help and try to provide everything her children need in her own strength, but if she's honest, she will eventually realize that self-sufficiency is not just impossible, it's unnecessary. Laying aside pride and the need to control, the single parent can learn to ask for what her family lacks. In so doing, she offers her brothers and sisters the blessing of giving (Acts 20:35). And in teaching her children to graciously receive from church family, she is modeling the humility every believer must have to come to Christ in the first place. Acknowledging our need for a Savior starts us down the path of graciously acknowledging our need for the body of Christ. The single parent families in our churches are well acquainted with God's grace, and his faithfulness to us encourages the whole church.   In this way, God knits His body together in care for one another. In 1 Corinthians 12:22-23, Paul writes, "Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those parts we think are less honorable we treat with special honor." This is not to say single parents and their children are less worthy of honor than married parents, but their "weakness" is evident in the absence of the other parent. Writing about this passage, Christian psychiatrist Curt Thompson says,   Here [Paul] casts a vision for a community of faith in which we carefully and diligently seek out, protect and honor those who are especially vulnerable and… who we are easily tempted to be ashamed of, in the same way we are tempted to do the same with parts of our inner lives. We do this, as Jesus did with Peter in John [21:15-10], not only in order for them to be given the honor of forgiveness, healing, and protection, but also the commission to answer the vocational calling within the church that is uniquely theirs1.   Single parent families are as indispensable to the thriving of a local church body as married parents are. God designed for us to need one another "that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another" (1 Cor. 12:25).   Single parent, you do not need to hang back from your church family. You have a calling and a purpose even beyond raising your children; you are an honored member of Christ's body.   Married or single adult who longs to love single parents and their kids well: draw close. Get to know us. Invite us into your lives! You will be a blessing, and you will be blessed. Curt Thompson, The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe About Ourselves (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2015), 157.   Written for Devotionals Daily by Anna Meade Harris, author of God's Grace for Every Family.   * Ready to Dig Deeper? SHOP THIS BOOK ► Your Turn Single folks, and especially single parents often feel excluded from churches because churches are often geared towards married couples and families with two parents in the household. Is there a single mom or dad in your area of influence whom you can embrace and encourage? Reach out! Invite them in and see what good things God will do! ~ Devotionals Daily COMMENT   Open the door for gracious conversations and greater unity in the family of God Save 40% God's Grace for Every Family: Biblical Encouragement for Single-Parent Families and the Churches That Seek to Love Them Well $11.99 40% off + FREE shipping on all orders over $35 SHOP NOW Weaving her own story together with nine attributes of God's character revealed from Scripture, Anna Meade Harris speaks to vulnerable single parents and to churches who want to love them well.   After the death of her husband, Anna Meade Harris discovered that single-parent families don't seem to have a place in the local church. Because she and her kids no longer fit into the Christian family mold, the body of Christ felt alien and strange when Anna's family needed it the most. Belonging, even in the most loving church, was a challenge.   God's Grace for Every Family was born out of Anna's desire to help other families avoid feeling the loneliness that hers felt. This gospel-centered work addresses the single parent who needs to know that God sees, loves, and cares for their family. The book also addresses the church at large, in the hopes that Christians will come to understand the unique needs of single-parent families and do a better job of welcoming, valuing, and loving them. LEARN MORE ► Today's devotion is by: Anna Meade Harris More about the book The book begins with Anna's story and then presents information about single-parent families in America, providing an understanding of their unique needs and complex dynamics. The chapters that follow each focus on a particular area of need and contain: Exegesis of Scripture demonstrating the character of God in relationship with his people Short narratives collected through interviews with single parents from a variety of backgrounds Suggestions for how the church can serve God and families This book is written for all Christians, married or single, parent or childless. It's written for widows, divorcees, and those who never married. And it's written for the congregants, pastors, leaders, and church family who wants to embrace every family and learn how to serve them well. By addressing families and the church together, God's Grace for Every Family opens the door for gracious conversations and greater unity in the family of God. SHOP NOW Take advantage of our summer sale and enjoy incredible savings on all devotionals. Elevate your quiet time with Jesus with these limited-time offers, designed to help you deepen your faith and grow spiritually. Don't miss out on these amazing deals now through June 30th — Pick up your copies today!  SHOP NOW SHARE this devotion with someone who needs it today SHARE

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