Sometimes Gifts Come in Strange Wrapping Paper

Sometimes Gifts Come in Strange Wrapping Paper

This final episode of the year is a sassy sendoff and a sacred pause—a gift for every mom who made it through a year that didn’t look anything like she ordered.

Together, we unwrap what this year really gave us, pack only what we’re meant to carry forward, and intentionally lay up blessings for what’s ahead. We’ll talk about the gifts that matter most—especially the ones we give our kids that can’t be wrapped or returned—and how to walk into the holidays and a new year with hope, joy, and peace instead of pressure.

If this year stretched you, surprised you, or shaped you in unexpected ways, this episode is for you.

Sometimes gifts come in strange wrapping paper… and this year proved it.

🎧 I’ll be back with new episodes on January 16
📞 Need prayer? Our 24-hour prayer line is 855-822-PRAY
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👉 shepherdsvillage.com/classes

Chapters

• 0:00 A Sassy Year-End Send-Off
• 2:18 Naming Hurt Without Losing Gratitude
• 4:25 The Unwrap And Release Exercise
• 7:32 Packing Wisdom, Not Wounds
• 9:20 Gifts That Don’t Fit In Boxes
• 12:17 The Legacy Question For 2026
• 15:08 One-Word Legacy Challenge

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to It's a Single Mom Thing, the show for single moms by single moms. This is Sherry, your host, and I am happy you are here today. Remember, it's a single mom thing, and not the single thing that stops you.

SPEAKER_01: 0:15

Well, hello there, my single peeps, and welcome back to another episode of It's a Single Mom Thing. So before we do anything else, I want you to know that this episode is my gift to you. No receipt, no exchanges, and full disclosure, it comes in some strange wrapping paper. Now, if you're honest, this year probably didn't look anything like what you ordered. Some moments I'm guessing were beautifully wrapped. Others, well, they look like they were taped together at last minute and dropped on your porch. Am I right? And yet, here you are. You're still standing, you're still believing, and girl, you are still becoming. So it should be no uh surprise to you that this episode's gonna be a little sassy send-off to the year that stretched you, that surprised you, and maybe even broke your heart in places, but certainly didn't break you. So as we walk into the holidays and the beginnings of a brand new year, my hope is simple. That you, my sister, unwrap hope, joy, and peace, not pressure, not perfection, and not one more thing on your to-do list, okay? Because listen, sometimes the greatest gifts don't come in shiny paper. Sometimes they come wrapped in lessons, in letting go, in learning to trust God a little deeper than you did before. So wherever you are listening from, whether it's your car, your kitchen, or hiding in the bathroom for five minutes, quiet, this moment is specially made for you. So let's unwrap what this year gave us and pack only what we are meant to carry forward. The gift you survived to open. So before we rush ahead into what's next, I want to pause right here. Because listen, we don't heal by pretending a year didn't hurt. Some of what this year handed you didn't feel like a gift at all. It felt heavy. Disappointing even, maybe even a little bit unfair. And I want to say this out loud. Gratitude doesn't mean you have to like everything that happened, right? It just means you can acknowledge God met you in it. Listen, there were moments you smiled through and moments you survived through. Conversations that changed you, seasons that stretched you, prayers that didn't get answered the way you hoped. But here's the part I don't want you to miss. Girl, you are still here, and that matters most. The fact that you're listening to this tells me something about you. You are stronger than you think, braver than you feel, and more prepared for what's ahead than you probably even realize. Now, some gifts, well, they don't sparkle. Some gifts, well, they teach. Some gifts I have found shape you quietly, quietly, without applause. And some gifts, well, they only make sense. I have found much later. So instead of asking why did this happen, maybe the better question that we all should ask is, what did this season teach me about myself and about God? What did you survive this year? What did you learn? And what part of you is stronger because of it? You see, you don't have to have all the answers, girl. Listen, I just want you to be honest because honesty, that, my friend, is where I have found healing happens. So let's do an unpacking the wrapping paper. It's gonna be what I call a little let go exercise. That's right. We're gonna stretch some things out. All right, so this is the part where we just stop just talking about the year, okay? And we are actually going to unpack it. So think about it. Some gifts, well, they don't need to be kept. Some things came into your life this year just to teach you something, but not to stay forever, okay? So let's do a little unpacking together. No, don't worry. No therapy coach or couch is required. So the exercise that we're gonna do is the unwrap and release, okay? So walk it out here with me. I want you to picture a box in front of you, okay? It's wrapped in paper and it's labeled this year. Now, inside that box are things that shaped you this year. And listen, not all are good, but not all were bad either. They're just real. Okay, so you see that box right? Now I want you to be like a kid on Christmas and I want you to unwrap it and notice what's there. Is there maybe a hurt that lingered, a habit that crept in, a hang-up that kept replaying old stories? Now don't judge it, okay? Listen, this is not a shame and blame kind of game. No, we're not judging nothing here. We are just noticing it. Okay, so now, silently or out loud, I don't care, girl, whatever you want to do, I want you to name one thing you're ready to leave behind. Not everything, I just want one, okay? And here's the release, here's the freeing part. Because listen, you don't have to carry it forward to prove that you are grown. Oh no. You can just simply thank it for what it taught you and then set it down. You see, because what I have found is that some lessons, well, they don't need to be repeated, right? Isn't that what we tell our kids? But they do need to be replaced. So now what I want you to do, I want you to imagine placing something new in that box. Maybe peace instead of pressure, trust instead of control. Ooh, that's a hard one. Hope instead of fear. Because listen, when you let go with intention, I promise you, you will make room for something better. And don't you want that? I know I do. You see, you don't have to unpack everything today. No, we don't have to do that. Listen, but you also don't have to drag old baggage into a brand new season. Some gifts, some gifts, not all, they were never meant to be kept. They were simply meant to just be understood. So as we get ready to pack for what's ahead, let's travel a little lighter, carrying things like wisdom and not wounds. The gifts that last longer than toys. Okay, now that we've zipped up what we're not carrying forward, I want to talk about a different kind of gift. Not the ones under the tree, not the ones that need batteries. Oh no, no, not the ones that will be forgotten by February. Am I right? You know that's true. No, I want you to think about the gifts you gave your kids this year that won't fit into a box. Because success for our kids, well, it isn't about what we buy for them, it's about what we build into them. So let's do this. Instead of asking, did I do enough? Because listen, I want you to take, we're getting lighter here, we're unpacking some things. Let's ask a better question instead. Like, what gift can I give my child now that will help them succeed in 2026 and well beyond that? Because I promise you, there are gifts that matter most. And so you can say this slowly, almost like you're naming blessings. Listen, hmm. So, for example, maybe this year the gift you gave them, and you didn't realize you did, was resilience because they were watching you get back up when life knocks you down. Or maybe it was consistency showing up even when you were tired, even when you were down and out sick with the sickness. Or maybe it was faith letting them see you pray, trust, and just keep going. Ladies, those gifts they don't break, they don't get returned, and they don't expire. So, okay, as I we got some things that we are working out. We got some more stretching we're gonna do here. And it's a little mini exercise I call the legacy question. It's gonna be fun. I want you to try something with me, okay? And just for a moment, and we're not gonna get down the road here and do something really heavy lifting here. We're gonna do something light that you can take forward into the future. So I want you to picture your child in 2026, okay? Picture them, yes, this is gonna happen. Time happens, they're gonna be a little older, but they're also gonna be a little stronger, a little more sure of who they are. Now ask yourself this one simple question. What do I hope my child believes about themselves because of me? Not what they own, not what they achieve, but what they believe. So listen, so I'm gonna give you some gentle encouragement. There's no guilt allowed. So if you're thinking I didn't get this right every time, well, welcome to motherhood. You see, because perfection was never the goal. We have talked about that all year. But what was our goal? Presence. Presence was, and girl, you are still writing their story. So as we look ahead, as we look forward to a new year, let's choose to give our kids the kind of gifts that grow, that give courage, confidence, faith, and love. Because listen, the greatest gift you can give your child for success in 2026, it isn't, I don't know what the new toy is, whatever it is. Make that up. It's you, girl. Grounded, healing, and hopeful. I bet you didn't know that you are worth the Black Friday shopping standing in line. Oh, yes, you are. So listen, we're gonna do a little one-word legacy challenge to really anchor this in, okay? And this is the gift that grows with them. So before we move on, I want to leave you with a simple challenge, and I promise it's not complicated, okay? So choose one word. That's it. One word to intentionally give your child in 2026. And I'm not talking about a resolution, I'm not talking about a parenting overhaul. I'm just talking about one word. For example, I don't know, something like safe, seen, brave, loved, capable, resilient, or even faith filled. Let that word guide you, mama, on how you show up in 2026, how you speak, how you respond, especially on the hard days. Because listen, long after they forget what you bought them, they will remember how you made them feel. Let God order your steps, not your stress. And while we're talking about intention, let's talk about pace. Because so many of us, me included, walk into the holidays and the new year, exhausted before it ever begins. Somewhere along the way, we learned that being busy meant being faithful. That if we weren't doing all the things, we were somehow falling short. Lie. But God, listen, he doesn't order chaos. We know that. He orders what? He orders steps. And steps, well, girl, they imply direction, not overload. So here's a simple daily practice I want to offer you. Again, it's my gift to you. One you can do while you're brushing your teeth or sitting in the car. God, order my steps today. Show me what matters. Help me release what doesn't. That's it, Lord ladies. That's all you need to say. No fancy words, nothing required. Short, simple, sweet. Because he already knows it. He's just waiting for you to come to him and say it. So I want to give you some permission to rest. Because listen, just because you can say yes, well, it doesn't mean that you're called to. You see, rest is not a reward for finishing everything. No, rest is a part of our obedience. You see, and so we want to keep the holy and the holidays. So we want to be obedient. And so as we head into the holidays, we want to leave margin. Margin for what? Well, margin for laughter, margin for meaning, margin for God to show up in the moments you didn't even plan. You see, not every moment needs to be magical. On the contrary, some just need to be real. So when you let God order your steps, I promise you, peace is gonna follow. And then when peace leads, oh girl, joy isn't isn't far behind. So take your time with this and let the pauses breathe in. And then remember, this is all a gift. So before I close, I want to pray over you and your kiddos, okay? If you're driving, keep your eyes on the road and uh just listen. Lord God, I'd lift up every mom that's listening right now, the tired ones, the hopeful ones, and the ones holding it together by faith alone. Cover her with peace that quiets the noise. Give her wisdom for the next step, not the whole staircase. God, I'd lift up her children, guard their hearts, strengthen their confidence, and help them know that they are deeply loved. They are deeply seen, and they are never alone. May the seeds planted this year, seeds of faith, resilience, and love grow into the strength for what's ahead. Lord God, we trust you with what we can't control, and we thank you for walking us into what's next. Amen. Ladies, as we close out this year, my prayer for you is this. My prayer is that you walk into this season lighter than you walked into this year. May hope rise where weariness once lived. May peace guard your heart, your calendar, and even your expectations. May you lay down what no longer serves you and carry forward only what strengthens you. And may whatever comes wrapped strangely next reveal itself as a gift in time. This is your sassy send-off, ladies. You've made it and I am cheering you into what's next. I'll be taking a pause and a short break. I'll be back on January 12th, rested, ready, and so excited for what's ahead. But until then, I want you to know that you are never walking alone, okay? If you need prayer day or night, Shepherd's Village has a 24-hour prayer line at 855-822 Pray. And if you're in the Tampa Bay area, oh girl, we have some incredible classes lined up to support you in the new year. You can find all the details and register after July 5th at ShepherdsVillage.com forward slash classes. Until next time, take care of your heart. Travel light into the new year. And remember, sometimes gifts come on some strange wrapping paper. And this year certainly proved it. Have a happy holiday, Merry Christmas, and a happy new year. And I will talk to you and see you on the other side in 2026. Remember, it's a single mom thing and not the single thing that stops you.

SPEAKER_00: 16:44

Thanks for listening to It's a Single Mom Thing. I hope you enjoyed our time together. If you have more questions on how to have a relationship with Jesus or prayer, visit us at www.shepardsvillage.com backslash prayer. For more information and resources, check out the show notes.