What if hitting rock bottom could actually be the beginning of a powerful journey towards faith and resilience?
In this special "Salty Summer Remix" episode of "It's a Single Mom Thing," I share my raw and personal experiences—from the heart-wrenching shock of divorce to the relentless challenges of unemployment and health issues. These stories are a testament to the shared struggles many single moms face, but more importantly, they highlight the strength we find when we lean on what I call "the rock," inspired by Psalms 18.2.
This isn't just about surviving; it's about finding refuge and strength in faith, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, we are never alone.
PASS IT ON TO THE NEXT SINGLE MOM - If you have been blessed by this podcast, sign up today with a monthly gift of any amount, click here.
What if hitting rock bottom could actually be the beginning of a powerful journey towards faith and resilience?
In this special "Salty Summer Remix" episode of "It's a Single Mom Thing," I share my raw and personal experiences—from the heart-wrenching shock of divorce to the relentless challenges of unemployment and health issues. These stories are a testament to the shared struggles many single moms face, but more importantly, they highlight the strength we find when we lean on what I call "the rock," inspired by Psalms 18.2.
This isn't just about surviving; it's about finding refuge and strength in faith, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, we are never alone.
PASS IT ON TO THE NEXT SINGLE MOM - If you have been blessed by this podcast, sign up today with a monthly gift of any amount, click here.
It's a Single Mom Thing, Not the Single Thing That Stops You!
Speaker 1:
Welcome to it's a Single Mom Thing, the show for single moms by single moms. This is Sherri, 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. Welcome back my solo piece. Sorry about last week. I didn't forget about you, trust me, but my solo guest had an unexpected emergency and could not join us, and then my next guest had to cancel too, which has led me to do what I'm calling a summer pause for the cause. So if you're listening and you're from the US and you know it's summer, even though it's summer and our kids are out of school, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have slowed down. On the contrary, it may be pedal to the metal as you speed here and you speed there. So for this podcast and the one next week, as we continue to focus forward on success, I'm going to bring back two of our most popular podcasts and fan favorites. As these topics might just meet us all right where we're at, I've called this two-podcast series Salty Summer Remix. As you will note, a little saltier side of my speech as I teach For those of you that are new or haven't heard these podcasts before. I hope you, like me, enjoy listening to them, as they've reminded me of some things that I need to stay focused on. Have you ever had those times in life where you felt like you hit rock bottom, whether it's by the way of a simple slip of your foot, a slow fade where you lost your balance, falling backwards all the way to the bottom, or even with the intention to just go over the edge, as at the time that seemed like the best option? I'm guessing everybody listening can probably say, yeah, I've been there. I even have the scars to prove it. Maybe you are even there now as you sit at the bottom in this cold, dark, damp place, frantically looking for something to grab onto, as you look up to the tall, cold cavern of the rocky, jagged and slippery walls, thinking to yourself how did I get here? Does anybody even know that I'm here and how are they going to find me all the way down here? How am I going to get out of this place and does anyone even care to find me? The answer is a resounding yes, girl. Yes. Welcome to another episode of it's a Single Mom Thing, I think.
Speaker 1:
Especially as single parents, we all have hit rock bottom and, I'm guessing more than just once. Can you relate oh, I certainly can Whether it was from the initial shock of being divorced not just from my spouse, but all of my family and friends too, or the four times I was unemployed with no income in sight, or the five times that we had to move from apartment to apartment. And then, finally, there was the sudden sickness that struck both my son and I, flaring up every six weeks. Mm-hmm, you heard me. We would just finally get healthy and feel like ourselves again, and then one of us would get sick and then the other. This cycle repeated for two years and together we hit rock bottom.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I know a little about hitting rock bottom. It is not a place where I like to be, nor want to visit again. I certainly much prefer the view from the top of the rocks, much like taking in the majestic and magnificent view over the Grand Canyon. I mean, the world looks so different from way up there the colors, the sights, the sounds and the sudden shift in perspective. It is a Grand Canyon, but even that looks different from the bottom. So let's be honest In a fallen world there will be times where we will fall, kind of like we discussed last week about being in the fire.
Speaker 1:
It is the place we live until he returns. But while we are here, we don't have to stay at the bottom. Use the rock. In my times at the bottom I have learned some things. One I watch where I step. But even greater than that, because I know there will be times that maybe where I don't fall, let's say as far, but if I do, I can use the rock to climb back up.
Speaker 1:
Now I want you to notice I did did not say rocks plural, I said the rock. And no, I am not talking about Dwayne the Rock, johnson, get your head out of the gutters, ladies, although I'll have to say that view would be nice. I'm just saying, but honestly, he can't ever do what the rock can do. Who is the rock? Well, you should know by now from all the podcasts who I am talking about. But I will explain it like this, and I'm going to start in Psalms 18.2 in the ESV. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock and womb. I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. You see, no matter how far I fell, he was my stronghold that I took hold of to climb back up. Now don't get me wrong.
Speaker 1:
There were plenty of times, as I am hard-headed as those rocks, that I tried to do it all on my own. He wasn't always my go-to solution, because, you know, this girl can do it all by herself, right? And just as I grab onto a rock and then another and start to pull myself up out of the pit that I had fallen into, I'd either lose my grip, get tired or a rock would suddenly loosens itself. And I was right back where I started, from the bottom, you'd think, after the first time, with skinned knees, bumps on my head, calloused hands and a tired back. I would get it, certainly wanting to avoid the pain of another pitfall. But, truth be told, sometimes I was so angry that I was there. I didn't want anybody's help, and certainly not his as I was confused as to, maybe as to why he let me fall that far. And well, that's a message for another time. Then there were the times that I simply forgot that I have a rock that wants to help me back up, that I have a rock that wants to help me back up, a rock that doesn't want me to fall, nor likes it when I fall. I have a rock that wants to be my present help, and he doesn't just want to help me, he wants to help you too. No matter how far you have fallen or even fallen away from him far you have fallen or even fallen away from him, he is still there waiting for you to use the rock to climb back up Rock climbing.
Speaker 1:
So as an experienced rock climber, so to speak, I have learned something about rock climbing. I am not very good at it. In fact, it scares the bejesus out of me. It's funny because, as a gots-to-be-outdoors-all-the-time-love-a-great-adventure kind of person, rock climbing well, it is just not my jam. Now, from the ground, looking up, watching other rock climbers, I'm like, yeah, I am all about that kind of that person. I'm like, yeah, I am all about that kind of that person. But that's from the vantage point of both feet firmly planted on the ground, looking up To get to the top. That is a whole nother experience this low to the ground. Five foot one, two inch firecracker is afraid of heights, but love having a life with God that takes me to new heights.
Speaker 1:
For me, rock climbing is kind of very symbolic of how I've handled situations where maybe I've hit rock bottom or even just simply needed to get out of my comfort zone. That I, too, still am learning from, as I learned to use the rock to climb back up, and you know what? I'll use a recent example from my own life to give you better clarity of what I'm talking about. Recently, I went on an adventure camping trip and there was rock climbing. My son and best friend wanted to try it out and I was like that looks sick. But if I'm going to be honest, I think I'm going to be sick just watching these people. Going to be honest, I think I'm going to be sick just watching these people.
Speaker 1:
I don't know if it was the pressure from my peer group or myself that was more intense and selling me on this being a great idea, because you know what I know myself to be true. As such, I was like, yeah, I got this. Harness me in. Maybe this time will be different Now to make things a little more interesting and intense. Mind you, it had just rained two hours prior to our start and the granite rocks were slippery and the first quarter of the climb was over some wet and slippery moss. And if that wasn't enough, the rock climb was at an 80 degree incline too, with very little rock formations to grab onto. Yeah, sure, this is a good idea, not? Nevertheless, I started my ascent. Oh, I feel good about myself. I am fit, I am strong, I have got this. As I got past the moss, I was like, okay, I can do this. So I continued to climb. As I got higher, oh, I realized I am further from the ground and a long way to go from the top. As I looked to my left and my right and ahead of me, I noticed there were not many crevices to dig my hands and toes into to pull me up. The incline was getting steep and my feet froze. The guys on the line below pulled tighter on the belay. When they felt the weight of my momentum come to a complete stop, they screamed we got you, girl, keep going. You got this. In my head I was like oh, I so don't got this.
Speaker 1:
The panic started to creep in, tears were rolling down my face and the negative voices were swirling in my head, and both my feet and arms started to shake. I was stuck and paralyzed by fear. Suddenly, my right foot slipped, scraping my knee against the side of the rock face. Instantly, I began to notice the throbbing pain in my knee from what wasn't just a scrape but a gash. I felt the blood begin to drip down my knee and my right leg hanging there, and the weight of which would soon have my left knee in the same place if I didn't make a move quickly.
Speaker 1:
I felt the guys below tighten on the line again once more, even more tighter than before, and as the force of my unsupported right leg was pulling the weight of my entire body towards rock bottom, the weight of the fear in my mind was saying let go and just fall. You can't do this. Then another voice, speaking louder than that, said that's right, you can't, but with me all things are possible. Use me to climb the rocks. I can't, I'm tired, I have too far to go and I'm scared. I will never make it. Then I heard but what if, together, we do this? Let's go to the top. It's not going to be easy, but I got you. I will never leave you or forsake you. Friends, if I'm honest, I wanted to fall and give up, just like all the other times I tried, by myself, to climb, hitting rock bottom. In that moment I started to recite his word With Christ, all things are possible. Then I thought to myself okay, let's move.
Speaker 1:
The first move was the hardest, as I was exhausted from the energy I expended holding myself suspended on the side of the rock face. I had very little gas left in the tank and to move up I needed to get that right leg back up parallel to my left so I could regain my balance, move forward and pull myself up. By the grace of God, that leg did come up, after hitting the side of the rock two more times and then, once my feet were firmly planted, a path became clear to me. I could see how I was going to climb up this slippery and slanted rock face all the way to the top, and I kid you not, the whole time I was climbing I did something different than I have ever done. All the times before I used the rock to climb up like this, I kept saying over and over all things are possible with Christ, all things are possible with Christ. And like that I had the power not my power, but his power to climb up. Now listen, it was by no means graceful or pretty, but I did get to the top. I wish I could say I stayed up there for a long time to enjoy the view, but I seriously just wanted to be over this challenge. You know something interesting to note that while I was up there, I happened to notice, as I was reflecting on my climb, that this has been the pattern of my whole life. When I hit rock bottom, I like to go at it alone or I cave into the pressure of myself or my peers around me. Never before did I ask God for help.
Speaker 1:
So where are you today? What challenges are you facing? Who are you listening to? Have you hit rock bottom? Proverbs 3, 4 through 6 in the KJV says this Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path. Friends, he will direct thy path. If you do what you trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding, you might find yourself at the rock bottom and you simply don't understand why. But here's my advice to you Give yourself permission to simply be okay with I don't know why. Then, when you are ready to climb to the top, use the rock to climb up. When you hit rock bottom, are you in a place where maybe you can't talk to your friends or family, but you do want to talk to somebody? Call us at our 24-hour prayer line at 855-822-PRAY.
Speaker 1:
Ready for your Grand Canyon experience A new perspective. Check out our free e-learning courses at sb-universityorg. It's self-paced and faith-based learning to strengthen the single parent in the overwhelming challenge of raising your family. Have a wonderful week and remember it's a single mom thing and not the single thing that stops you. 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 wwwshepherdsvillagecom. Backslash prayer. For more information and resources, check out our show notes.
