Single Parent Guilt

I’m a single mom and I love my daughter with all my heart. I truly believe she is a gift from God. However, being a single mom can have it’s moments of major stress. A lot of that is internal. I feel guilty for her not only being the child of a single parent but for her also being an only child. Due to that guilt, I find myself overcompensating quite often. I find myself dealing with single parent guilt a lot.

Stress Levels

There is also the matter of stress levels. I suffer from hereditary high blood pressure so stress is something I have to control. I used to deal with stress by walking. Putting on headphones and strolling through the streets had a great calming affect on me. But, you can’t just leave when you have a young child at home.

Feelings of Inadequacy

Sometimes, I feel like I’m not woman enough for the job. Even though my daughter is healthy, active, loving, and filled with the Spirit of God, I still feel as if I haven’t done enough. Like I’m just not good enough to raise her properly.

I Can Do All Things

When I decided to write this post, I turned to the Bible. Asking God to lead me to a passage, I found this one:

13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

That was exactly what I needed. Through Christ, I can get through my feelings of guilt and inadequacy. Because of His strength, I have moved forward, even when I wasn’t sure where I was going. It is because of Christ that my daughter is the healthy, active, and loving child that she is. I’ve prayed so long and so desperately but never noticed that, as I went through my day, God was right there with me, guiding me along and giving me the push or motivation that I needed. If I sit down and think about it, I do see all of the instances that led me to make certain decisions and I realize that God’s hand was in all of that.

Taking the Good with the Bad

The verse directly preceding states:

12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Philippians 4:12 (NKJV)

Paul had to deal with the good and the bad. He knew what it felt to be full and hungry. Through all of that, Paul never doubted God’s promise.

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5-10 (NKJV)

Single moms, we should remember that promise. Through the good and the bad, Christ will never leave us. Knowing that won’t necessarily eliminate your single parent guilt, but, he will give us the strength we need to push on. Don’t be afraid to stop what you’re doing and talk to Him. Trust Him when He guides. He will get you through it!

Have a blessed day.