The dreaded honey-do list is absolutely one of this single mom’s biggest struggles.
It goes without saying that there are challenges involved with single parenting, particularly for a mom without any natural fix-it gifting. There was a movie from years ago called “The Money Pit” about a house that kept falling apart. If that was made today, they could use my house for the setting.
I believe my home is the house where appliances go to die, floors warp for unknown reasons, and outlets and lights work arbitrarily.
I have learned how to do many things. I’ve fixed sump pumps, plumbing, and even a few small appliances. But there are things that my pink-handled screwdriver just can’t fix.
The weather or the furnace
The day before Thanksgiving, my furnace shut off. Just stopped. One of my sons and I tried everything we could think of to get it started but without success.
Just so you know how ridiculous my house is, this was the SECOND Thanksgiving this had happened. Apparently, my furnace is never in the holiday mood.
Thanksgiving morning when I woke up after a decidedly chilly night of sleep (which is actually okay for this woman of a certain age), I prayed that God would make the silly thing work. Then I decided to pray that the day would be warmer so my guests would want to stay for dinner. And in the midst of praying, I realized that I believed God could (and would) fix the weather more than I believed He would fix my furnace.
How weird.
But that’s me.
A small but mighty miracle
I think that has kind of been the story of my life.. it is easier to believe and trust God for the BIG things rather than the little things…or things that are little in comparison to the weather!
So I decided to see what some of the “smaller” miracles in the Bible were – if any miracle could trulybe considered small.
In 2 Kings 6, there is a story of a floating axhead. It is such a short account with virtually no fanfare, but honestly, an axhead floating!?!
Elisha and the company of prophets were preparing to build a meeting place.
[verse reference=”2 Kings 6:5-7“]
“As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!”
The man of God asked, ‘Where did it fall?” when he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.”
[/verse]
That’s how it begins and ends. Short and sweet. And easy to overlook.
I think the whole point is that God cares about the little things too. The borrowed axhead. The broken furnace. The millions of other things weighing heavily on us.
Simply because they are small doesn’t mean they aren’t important.
That axhead was important to the man who borrowed it, but it was also important enough to put in the Word of God. A small but mighty passage.
Every miracle, large or small, is a mighty testament to God’s care, provision, and love.
That’s where the hard place is for me…the place where I have to trust when I don’t understand why He won’t just make that silly furnace kick on. That is the place where I grow closer to Him… where my faith is strengthened, my perspective stretched, and my attitude challenged to change and grow.
He might not miraculously start the heat on a major holiday – but maybe He will. Maybe the miracles will be the people he provides to help even on a holiday weekend.
Maybe God will provide a lovely warm day. Maybe it won’t be any of those things because there is something better for my family when we shiver together.
My God answers prayers perfectly. I know that I can trust Him with the biggest things and the littlest things in my life, including single parenting and all its challenges and honey-do lists.
Sue Birdseye is an author and communicator who shares the adventures she has on her unexpected journey of single parenting. She went from the typical “picket fence” kind of life to being a single mom to five beautiful children. She has learned what it means to be totally dependent upon the Lord and how beautiful that dependence is. Her change of life circumstances has led to a passionate desire to encourage and bless other moms no matter their life circumstances. She has been active in her community as a foster/adoptive mom and public school teacher. She has also been part of her church’s worship, discipleship, women’s, and children’s ministries. She is an avid book reader, a game night hoster, and an early morning writer. Her book “When Happily Ever After Shatters” is the story of how God stepped into her life and the lives of her children just when everything seemed to be falling apart. She hopes that her writing will encourage, bless, and maybe even make someone smile.
