Luisa, who for a number of years served as my husband’s administrative assistant and currently is Guidelines’ Director of Media, has twin girls, who are now young adults. For most of the years her children were at home, she was a single mom, bearing the dual responsibilities of being both caretaker and breadwinner. And she did the job exceptionally well. That’s why I asked her what resources she found helpful and what recommendations she would give to other single moms.

Luisa tells me that very important to her was having a support group not only of other singles but of “whole” families to whom she could turn for friendship and encouragement. Relationships with other families help children feel better about themselves—they can see that they are no different than children in two-parent families. Plus, when you see the problems married couples are working through, you may even see advantages in your current singleness. You may say, “Well, at least I don’t have that problem to cope with!”

Luisa’s advice is this: “Focus on what the Lord wants for you rather than on what you want for yourself.”  She explained her own situation: “I knew right along that the Lord wanted me to raise my children on my own instead of looking for a mate to help me.”

With the voice of experience, Luisa summed up her perspective when she added, “I had to accept my circumstance and find joy in it so I could see God’s purpose and plan for me.”

What greater encouragement can you find as a single mom than the words of Isaiah: “For your Maker is your husband–the Lord Almighty is his name…; he is called the God of all the earth” (Isaiah 54:5).  Yes, single mom, this mighty God knows your needs. You can count on Him. Make Him the focus of your life.