Forget the Former Things
By Linda Ranson Jacobs

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

This scripture is a vision for every single parent. Let us forget what brought you to this point of being a single parent and concentrate on what God has in store for you. God does have a plan for you. It may be hard to realize that right now. You may be hurt, angry, or discouraged. You might be so overwhelmed that you can hardly get through the day. But you will get through the day because you love your children. I hope you are a mom who loves the Lord too because God promises in His word to comfort us. “In the multitudes of my anxieties within me, your comforts delight my soul.” (Psalm 94:19) Accept God’s comfort. Let Him delight your soul.

Create order in your life and develop a routine that everyone in the family can depend upon. Routines help children feel safe because they know what is going to happen next. As your children grow, the routines will change. One of the things I did was to have a short devotion time when my kids were in elementary school. We kept it simple by using LifeWay’s “Open Windows. My kids learned to share prayer request with each other and with me.

When my daughter started middle school, our routine had to change because she had to be out of the house early every morning. It took a while to get in the swing of a new routine but we did it. When my son started middle school and my daughter entered high school things really got confusing. We went from the calm quiet devotion time to every one scurrying through the house every morning, trying to get out the door on time. No matter how hectic things got, I still wanted to teach my kids to pray.

Now years later when something big is happening in their adult lives, they will call me and ask me to pray for them or pray with them. My children’s lives are full. Both are married, have children and love the Lord. My life has moved on and the Lord has never left my side. I’ve made it through the desert and the Lord continues to flow as a mighty rushing mountain stream in all I do.

“See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19

This publication is protected under U.S. Copyright laws [© Linda Ranson Jacobs, 2008] However, it is also a ministry to those who need it ... so, while you may pass along this article freely, please check before reprinting anything in another publication. In most cases, all she requires is proper credit.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Nothing in this or other emails or materials from Linda Ranson Jacobs should be considered as psychological or legal advice. Linda is not a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, or lawyer. These suggestions are simply suggestions and not guaranteed solutions to your particular problems. Linda offers this information because she was a single mom for years and ran a child care where the majority of her children were from single parent families. She offers support, encouragement, and suggestions to help you succeed as a single parent.