………………….Rev. Willie Mae Hawkins, M.Div., D.Min(ABD)…………….
As an Regional Consultant to the Women’s Ministry in the United Church of Christ (UCC), My committment is to serve the women in the Southern Region. The Southern Conference alone consists of 3 associations, 219 churches, and approximately 20,000 women.
Western North Carolina Association
Eastern North Carolina Association
Eastern Virginia Association
In 1 Corinthians 3:1, Paul writes to the church at Corinth stating they are infants in Christ. He states there is jealousy and quarreling among them. As I ponder on the text in regards to ministering to single parents, I think of the quarreling we have within our inner selves. This inner quarreling occurs because we are not balanced with the demands in life as single parents.
There are the demands for proper care for children. Maintaining the financial obligations for home, children, and food sometimes get the best of us. For many who are still climbing that steep mountain of going to school and advancing on the job, this seems to be an on-going lifetime challenge. As our children grow into wanting their own independence, there are the personality conflicts that demand resolution. We wonder if the demands will ever come to an end.
We, too, sometimes are jealous by resenting our lives becasue we are not where we had hoped to be. Our stress levels are high due to the worries of our children, finances, jobs, and relating with others. For some, they still yearn for a mate to help with the responsibilities, to be the companion they desire, or to provide financial security when time gets tough.
If we have not learned to balance our lives in the midst of the demands as a single parent, I question, “Are we still infants in Christ? Balance begins with God as the center of our being. It is God who mends our fragmented lives where we can have balance to the demands of life. God places supportive people who continue to encourage us toward His greatness. God leads us to resources, which includes resources to strengthen our relationships with ourselves, our children, and with others. Indeed, it is God who gives us peace that surpasses all understanding. That is the peace within our inner selves–our souls.
One of the first steps toward maturity in Christ is allowing God to take total control over your life. Although a mate or a husband is not in the home, allow God to be the head of your single parent home. Each day, God will purge your heart and reshape your thinking to the demands of this world. Be mindful, if conflicts continue to be hard to bear, God will guide you to a good spiritual coach, counselor, or leader who can lead you to a greater insight of your conflict… just as Paul was to the church at Corinth.
Prayer: Dear God, Help us to calm the quarrelling within our inner being. Give us peace within our souls. Give us the understanding of how to handle the demands of life as a single parent. And, when conflicts continue to be unease, lead us to someone who can assist us to better understand toward your guidance. Amen.
~copyright 2009@Willie Mae Hawkins
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