Dear Friend,

I’ve had many jobs in my life: waitress, berry picking, cannery work, shoe plant, and I had a small farm once. However hard any of the work was, I found being a single parent was one of the hardest jobs, especially before I was born again.

My siblings and I didn’t have good role models growing up, and I can tell you it was difficult to make good decisions later in life. My first, biggest regret was not raising my kids to know Jesus until they were teenagers. Thank God they’ve forgiven me for all of the mistakes I made. Now, with my son Levi, Jesus has always been in the picture. We talk about God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Levi amazes me with the stories he likes to hear. Abraham and Isaac is one. The Resurrection is another. Goliath is another one he loves. He is starting to understand the love Father God has for us in that Jesus, His only Son, died that we might be saved.

Being a parent is a very rewarding job. When you can shape and mold a person’s life, affecting them forever, you want to do good. In my heart, I believe being a Godly example is a must—not like the old saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.”

Our Heavenly Father showed us in so many ways how to be. One of my favorite examples is in Second Timothy 1:2-5:

To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;

When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

The impact of grandma’s and mom’s prayers continued through the generations. Being good and full of the love of Jesus made a difference as a parent.

The one job you never retire from is being a parent. My heart goes out to the parents who have lost a child. It hurts so bad, you can’t even describe the pain, but knowing you’ll see them again is the greatest relief and joy, amen.

My prayer for all of us parents is to stay strong in the Lord, be the example God would have us be: full of love, wisdom, and peace. I see many young, wonderful, Godly parents, and it touches God’s heart, amen.

God bless you as you do according to Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Glory to God! Have a blessed, wonderful Mother’s Day to all of you moms and spiritual moms.

In His love,

Donner Roberson