Jul 31, 2013

The Traveling Husband

Dear Weary Mom,

I have had some major anxiety the past few days. My husband is leaving us this evening and will be gone for 4 days. I am going to miss him terribly and cannot wait until Sunday when we pick him up from the airport.

Can I be honest and say I don't like being a single mom?

I.don't.like.it.at.all.

When B travels it reminds me of when I was mothering my children as a single parent. The days were long and tiring. I had no spouse to rely on and many nights I felt completely alone. My mind seemed to be in constant motion, always wondering what would happen next. I feared the future, mourned over the past, and moved through each day wondering if this was all my life was.

One day I found the story of Hagar and Abraham in Genesis and it caught my attention. I could relate to Hagar's feelings of rejection and sadness.

Hagar is Sarah's servant and the woman Sarah chose for her husband, Abraham, to have a baby with. Sarah and Abraham were told by God they would eventually have a child but they did not wait on His timing. Sarah told Abraham to sleep with Hagar and then became angry about her decision. She mistreated Hagar and the slave fled. Hagar was then visited by an angel in the wilderness and asked where she was going. 

Hagar shared that she was running away from her mistress. The angel of the Lord told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." The angel added, "I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count." Then the angel told her, "You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your misery." Genesis 16:9-11

Then Hagar gave the Lord a name to be remembered throughout history. She said, "You are the God who sees me, I have now seen the One who sees me." Click to Tweet!






He sees ME and He sees YOU.

He sees our worn out, tired hearts and the heavy burdens on our shoulders that too often we try to carry alone.

Some of you may have a spouse who travels every week or is deployed overseas. You may be a single mom for the first time and feel completely overwhelmed at facing this season in life alone.

Wherever you are in your walk through motherhood God knows right where you are. There is no problem too complicated for God if you are willing to let him help you.



Linking up with Hope For the Weary Mom andHearts For Home Blog Hop, and Transformed Tuesdays

9 comments:

  1. So happy to share with Hope For the Weary Mom today!

    ReplyDelete
  2. My spouse is gone this week too. He will be home for one night then gone again for four more. El Roi, He is my God who sees me too. Blessings and strength to you! Love, Rachael @ Inking the Heart

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love that passage about Hagar, too. I'm so grateful for the God who sees me! I'm here from Barbie's.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Traveler's WifeAugust 3, 2013 at 6:50 PM

    THANK YOU!! I have never connected Hagar's story to my own. I am a Traveler's Wife (for six years now) and can relate to the feelings of loneliness, rejection, and even self-pity. Being married to any Traveler is overwhelming - Union Tradesman, Corporate Salesman, or even a long-haul truck driver - there are days when it is all I can do to just get out of bed and care for my child. All Traveler's Wives need encouragement and to know that God is there to hold them up when they can't do it themselves. Just as you have connected me with Scripture, I hope I can help other weary Traveler's Wives and share with them God's unyielding support. God Bless ~ JuliAnne

    ReplyDelete
  5. I feel for you Rachael. So glad you stopped by today, lifting you up and praying for patience and grace while your husband is away!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for visiting Elizabeth!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you JuliAnne for sharing your story. I'm grateful to give you another perspective and I feel your pain in the sadness of being alone. God does see each of us and is there through those moments when we don't want to get out of bed, when we don't want to do anything but throw a pity party. I have to remind myself daily that he is greater than any emotion I experience. So glad you visited today!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am so thankful that God sees me and knows my greatest needs. Thanks for linking up with The Weekend Brew. I'll be praying for you!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you for the chance to share Barbie, I love the message you provide for women!

    ReplyDelete