A young woman was abandoned by her husband. In the process he generously left her several things: the children, the cat, the bills, and the house with a big mortgage.
The wife didn’t know what to do! Never in her life had she imagined this could happen. Her breathing became quick and her body was gripped with fear. Her face took on a sorrowful look. Her frame was bent over with grief.
“What shall I do?” she moaned at night, and moaned it again during the day.
“We’ll help you.” her parents said.
“I’ll help you.” her brother said.
And on and on it went as friends and family and even some strangers heard of her distress. She prayed her way through despair and grew closer to God than ever before.
“I see the Lord’s hand now,” she said after time had passed and she began to feel better. “God worked through these people to give me a hope. He taught me to trust Him when I was alone, and He provided everything I needed.”
“That’s right,” a friend said upon hearing her praise. “When you were a child, it was God who provided for you—it wasn’t your parents. When you became a wife and mother, it was God who provided for you—it wasn’t your husband. And when you suddenly became single again, it was God who provided for you again—not friends and family, and not you yourself.”
“Don’t worry about food—what to eat and drink. Don’t worry whether God will provide it for you. These things dominate the thoughts of most people, but your Father already knows your needs. He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” (Luke 12:29-32 NLT)
I could very much identify with this. Several years ago, finding myself suddenly supporting 3 daughters after being a homeschooling, stay at home mom their whole life, I felt like the world had been pulled out from under all of our dreams. Amazingly though God provided for all of our needs, sometimes in very unusual ways. We never had a utility shut off or had to leave our home, and I too received no child support. Our Heavenly Father was the support we needed. I was bitter at times about the struggle I didn’t feel we should have to be enduring, until I could see the grace of it all. Now, my daughters and I are in such a better place. I am even remarried to the most wonderful man who is such a good dad to our girls. Never did I imagine such healing could have happened. I wouldn’t change a thing. I once told a woman who was at the beginning of this journey. “You will become stronger than you ever knew you could be by going through what you never knew you could endure, by God’s grace.” He is so good!
Thank you for sharing your experience! We always need to encourage one another in this because becoming suddenly single is such a scary thing. It’s absolutely true that God is faithful to help and heal us if we will only trust in HIM.