A Song of Ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
Today’s reading is a reminder of where our greatest help comes from: the Lord, who is always present to help us and who walks with us through all of the days of our lives, offering love and support, as well as guidance…just like a perfect parent would do for his or her children.
I am far from a perfect parent, but I do try to be present for my daughter, to help her make good choices, and to survive the bad ones, as well as to offer advice and support as she faces some of the more difficult challenges of life on life’s terms.
As parents it is important for us to be present for our children, no matter what their age, but supporting our children as they face life’s challenges can be rough, even more so for us as single parents, as we may be the first (if not only) parent our children can turn to when in need or in trouble.
However, in order for us to be able to be present for our children we need to take the time to care for ourselves both spiritually and physically by getting plenty of rest, exercise, and by taking time to de-stress and decompress. In order to take care of ourselves well, it is important to have a strong support system, including people who care about us, and have experience with parenting, family and friends, and if needed…professionals. Also important to our good physical and spiritual health is a strong faith in God, who will not slumber, who will not let our foot be moved, and who will keep us from all evil, and who is watching over us at all times, surrounding us with love.
Let us Pray
Thank you Lord for being our source of help, and for sharing your love and compassion with us freely through the Holy Spirit as well as through the help and support of others. Please help us to remember to take care of ourselves as well as we take care of our children; and let us always remember to support one another as we act as Christ to each other and to the world world.
Amen
Sparks of Happiness: Reflections for Single Parents 