One Promise at a Time

Spring break can turn a single mom’s routine upside down—more snacks, less structure, and a whole lot of chaos. In this Power-Up Pep Talk, Sherry shares encouragement from Luke 1:45, reminding moms that sometimes faith doesn’t mean having every answer—it simply means holding onto one promise from God.

Together, we reflect on Mary’s faith while she was still carrying the promise of Jesus and how that same kind of trust can carry us through our own uncertain seasons. With Easter approaching and the days getting longer, this short devotional offers practical encouragement, a simple “Promise Post” activity you can do with your kids during spring break, and a reminder that God finishes what He starts.

If you need a little fuel for your week, this pep talk is for you.

Transcript

Welcome And Quick Pep Talk

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. It's a single mom thing, and not the single thing that stops you.

Mary And The Power Of Belief

The Promise Post Family Practice

Waiting Seasons And Easter Perspective

One Promise For A Chaotic Week

Prayer Line And Closing Encouragement

SPEAKER_01 0:16

Well, hello there, mamas, and welcome back to another episode of It's a Single Mom Thing. So today, I got a little buzzkill here. It's not gonna be a full episode, but today's gonna be what I like to call a power-up pep talk. Because well, sometimes we don't need a 20-minute deep dive. Sometimes a single woman just needs someone to pull up a chair next to her, look her straight in the eye, and say, girl, you've got this. Let's get through this week together. And if your house is anything like mine used to be when my son was home from spring break, you might already feel like you're preparing for a small circus. Kids home, schedules upside down, groceries disappearing at record speed. Whew, girl, I remember wondering how one human, listen to me, how one human could eat that many snacks in one afternoon. It seems spring break was always fun, but let's be honest, sometimes it felt like a full contact sport. So today, girl, I want to honor you and I want to give you something simple so you can hold on to it this week. Not 10 strategies, not a complicated parenting plan, just one promise from God. So before we jump in, if you happen to notice I missed you last week, well, sometimes, as you know, life just does what life does. And there's one group of women who understands that, well, then that's you. Every single mom understands life change. And sometimes the plan is clear, and then sometimes the plan gets a little hijacked, but you know, by sick kids, work deadlines, school schedules, or just plain exhaustion. But I'm glad you're here today, and I'm glad I am back here with you. Because listen, as we head into spring break and the days are starting to get a little longer, I want to share something that can help you carry you through this week. And that's just one promise. There's a verse in Luke that has always stood out to me, and we find it in Luke chapter 1, verse 45, and it says, and I quote, Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord were fulfilled. I'm gonna try that again. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her. Much better. Now, this is from Elizabeth, who says this to Mary when Mary comes to visit her after the angel told her she would give birth to Jesus. So let's think about this for a moment, okay? Um, Mary didn't have proof yet, right? She didn't even have a timeline, she didn't even know exactly how everything was gonna go down. But what she did have was a promise from God. And Elizabeth says something just powerful. Blessed is she who believed. Not because everything made sense, because I don't know about you, but that makes no sense to me. Not because her circumstances were easy, uh, I think they were just about to get a little difficult for her, but because she trusted God would do what he said. I don't know about you, but sometimes I think I tend to picture Mary in stained glass windows, calm, peaceful, and perfect. But let's get real here. Mary's situation was actually pretty complicated. Am I right? Listen, she was young, she was unmarried, she was stepping into something that people around her probably fully didn't understand. But yet Elizabeth didn't say, and check this, Elizabeth didn't say, Blessed are you because your life is easy. No, sister said, Blessed are you because you what? She believed the blessing wasn't in the circumstance, and I find that rather interesting because the blessing, listen, was entrusting God in the middle of them. I think we have something to learn here because sometimes single motherhood, I don't know about you, feels a little like that. Am I right? You're carrying responsibility, you're making decisions, you're building a future for your kids, you're trying to break cycles and create something different. And sometimes you're doing it while people around you don't fully understand the road you are walking. Some days you feel strong, and then on the other days, you're just trying to keep the wheels on the bus. Am I right? But here's the thing about faith. Faith isn't always about having the perfect plan. And you know that white we don't talk about perfection on this podcast, do we? So sometimes faith simply looks like this holding on to one promise from God when the rest of the picture isn't clear yet. That sounds like most of our lives. You see, Mary didn't have 10 answers, but she did have one promise. And she believed God would fulfill it. So as we're heading into spring break, for a lot of families, schedules get off, bedtimes get fuzzy, the kitchen becomes a 24-hour snack station, and somewhere around Wednesday, you might find yourself saying, Lord, just help me make it to the next Monday. But there's something beautiful about this time of year, too. The days are getting longer, more daylight, more sunshine, and it's almost like God is reminding us that seasons change. The heavy seasons, they don't last forever. The dark seasons don't stay forever. Little by little, the light stays longer. And sometimes God's promises are already working in our lives before we fully see the outcome. Praise Jesus for that. So here's a simple thing you can do this week with your kids. And I call it the promise post. So, of course, you know, anytime you are on this podcast with me, you're gonna need pen and paper handy, and sometimes even some post-it notes. So if you got some, grab them. Because I want you to grab that sticky note, and I want you to write down one promise from God for your family this week. And here are a few that you could possibly choose from. Isaiah 41 10 says, Do not fear, for I am with you. That's a powerful promise when it feels like life is a little overwhelming. Or you could slap a little Philippians 4 19 up on there that says, My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. That's an amen. Not some of your needs. He said all of them. So maybe you even put all in capital and underline, underline, underline that one three times. Or you could do a little Deuteronomy 31 6, and it says, The Lord your God goes with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you. Even do a little extra underline under never. Single moms, they can feel alone sometimes, probably most of the time. But God promises you you're not doing this alone. Then I like here Psalms 23.1. It's a short, simple, sweet to the point. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. Now, for me, that one hits home when the budget feels tight or the future feels uncertain. Girls, don't do this on your own. This is a great opportunity to get your kids to help choose the promise too. Write a few verses on slips of paper, post around the house, put them in a bowl, let someone in the house draw one out daily and say, this is the promise our family is walking, either whether you're going to make it for the week or you're gonna have one for the day. Because sometimes, ladies, the most powerful thing we can teach our kids, well, isn't perfection. It's showing them what it looks like to trust God in real life. So here's something else that struck me that I want to share with you. And it was as we're thinking about this verse, when Elizabeth said, Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her. Well, what's going on? Mary was still pregnant at the time. The promise hadn't arrived yet. Jesus hadn't been born. She was still in the middle of her mess, in the waiting. It looked messy to some people. And here is what well, mess and well, finally nobody knew that that was a ministry. I segue. But getting back on track, here's where we are, just a few weeks away from Easter. Am I right? Which means we're remembering the whole story. We know what Mary couldn't see yet. The baby she was carrying would grow up to change the world. The promise she believed one day, walked right to the cross, and then walked out of the tomb. And sometimes our lives feel a little like that season Mary was in. Am I right? We're still carrying the promise, we're still in the middle of the story, and we're still in the part where faith is required. Something powerful. God finishes what he starts. The promise always leads somewhere, and sometimes the greatest miracles in our lives are already growing. Even when we can't fully see them yet. So here's your power-up pep t the goodness gracious. Here is your power-up pep talk for the week, mama. If I can get it out of my mouth, you may not have every answer. My guess is you may not even have an answer. Your schedule might feel like a little chaotic, your patients might feel a little thin, and your grocery bill might be doing things you definitely did not authorize. But if you have one promise from God, girl, you have enough to keep walking. Because the blessing Elizabeth talked about wasn't about having control, the blessing was about believing God keeps his word. So this week, let's take a breath. Lots of them. Hide the good snacks, if necessary, and walk into this week knowing this. Blessed is the woman who believes God keeps his word. And around here, that includes single moms too. And ladies, before we close out today's pep talk, I want you to remember something. You don't have to carry everything on your own unless you really want to. Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is simply ask someone to pray with you. If you're walking through something heavy right now, girl, if you need encouragement or if you just want someone to stand with you in prayer, you know we have a 24-hour prayer line available for you. And you can call 855-822Pray. There is someone there who would be honored to pray with you and for you. Because here's the truth: single motherhood was never meant to be walked alone. And sometimes the greatest strength we have is the village of people who would lift us up and prayer. So that's your power of pep top for the week. Fuel for the journey, faith for the road ahead, and a reminder that single moms never walk this road alone. Have a wonderful week, and remember it's a single mom thing, and not a single thing that stops you.

SPEAKER_00 12:22

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 need prayer, visit us at www.shepardsvillage.com backslash prayer. For more information and resources, check out our show notes.