Meet Sarah

You may recognize Sarah as one of the panelists at last year's Single Moms Christmas Dinner. We have had the honor of getting to know Sarah and her family over the past couple of years at the Christmas Dinner and as a regular attendee of Break Time. Now, we get the privilege of sharing a bit of her amazing story. 

Sarah and her husband had a good life with four wonderful boys. She says, "My life went much how I intended.  I grew up in a Christian home, met my husband at Bible college, and soon had the family I always hoped for."

Although things were good, there were some difficult challenges along the way. Their second son was born with numerous special needs. Sarah says she had to learn to trust God even when she didn't understand what he was doing.

In 2011, her husband felt a stirring that they were meant to adopt. In 2012, they began the adoption process of two girls who were in their foster care. She says the girls were, "hurting and angry and helping them required a lot of extra work." She says it was, "very challenging, is still challenging, may always be challenging!  But even with these kind of difficulties, I found contentment and was happy in my marriage and with my children."

In 2013, the unimaginable happened. Her husband suddenly and unexpected died at age 42. Sarah was devastated and absolutely crushed. She had no idea how to pick up the pieces of her life while raising six children on her own. Single parenting was not something she or anyone around her was familiar with.

She says, "I somehow knew I wasn't doing it alone." She says, "I never sensed God's presence more than I have in the last four and a half years." She says, "I've learned that healing does come. That things don't stay bad forever and that there is always hope. Happiness can be found in the midst of tragedy, it just looks different than what I expected."

Today, Sarah is a full-time college student. She'll graduate in August this year with a Bachelors Degree in English. She works as a city clerk and a substitute teacher, while she parents five children still at home, is learning her new role as parent of her oldest son and his wife.  She says, "I'm excited for this new life that I never anticipated. It's a life God planned and I didn't. I'm excited to see where it leads."

The biggest challenge she faces is, "trying to get it all done without running myself ragged." She finds it difficult to meet the individual needs of her children without a partner.  "It's a difficult weight of responsibility alone."

Her greatest joys is, "my children – seeing them mature, overcome, and make spiritual decisions on their own, recognizing that I am seeing God’s graciousness and favor in their lives, because they are these amazing individuals in spite of me, not because of me (I mess up so often with them).   I find joy in spending time with the kids and I experience joy every time I recognize another good thing that has come from the ashes of the loss of my husband."

Sarah offers this advice to other single parents, "You may feel alone, you are probably lonely, but you are not alone. God desires to equip you for this challenging season and He gives wisdom to those who ask for it - James 1:5." Sarah says, "Don’t make the mistake of doing this on your own, because, if you do,  you are destined for failure."

She says that Single Parent Provision has been an incredible benefit to her. She says she's reminded of the story of,  "Moses and the Amelkites – when his arms were supported, the Israelites prevailed, when he lowered them because of fatigue, they lost.  So, Moses’ father-in-law and Aaron held up his arms to ensure the victory.  SPP is helping me to “hold up my arms.”

She adds, "Remember that God loves your kids more than you do and He has an incredible plan for your family. "

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Sarah! You are an encouragement and inspiration to all of us!

Published February 2018

 


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