Does your life feel like a ship tossed on the ocean? Whether it’s financial struggles, difficulty with a teenager, illness, or the ache of loneliness, we all face storms that we cannot control. In this heartfelt episode, talk about the reality of the "monsters" we face as solo moms and how to find true rest even when the winds are still raging.

Drawing on biblical promises and personal experience, I explored the power of childlike trust and the peace that comes from surrendering control to a Father who is never afraid of the dark.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. The Nature of Storms: Why we feel like we are being tossed about by uncontrollable forces (work, parenting, internal unrest).
2. The "Monster Under the Bed" Analogy: A story about little Samantha that illustrates how we can find sleep and peace by trusting someone bigger than us.
3. Healing the Root: How unhealed trauma and anger can bleed into our parenting and relationships, and why indifference is not the same as healing.
4. Jesus in the Boat: A reminder that even when God seems "asleep" in your situation, He is fully in control and capable of silencing the waves.
5. A Shift in Mindset: moving from trying to control the uncontrollable to depending on your Omnipotent Father.

Scripture References:

1. Psalm 107:29 – "He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed."
2. Isaiah 43:2 – "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you..."

Resources Mentioned:

1. Courage to Believe: The newly updated devotional by J. Rosemarie Francis (now expanded with more narrative and guidance). Get your copy on Amazon here.

Call to Action:

Are you in the middle of a storm right now? You don't have to navigate it alone. If you need someone to talk to or just need a listening ear, reach out. You are God's masterpiece, and He is with you in the fire and the flood.

Contact J. Rosemarie here.

Join our Facebook devotional group here. Thanks.

https://solomomstalk.mysites.io/podcast-2-copy/why-jesus-slept-through-the-storm-and-how-you-can-too

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Host: J. Rosemarie Francis

[00:12] J. Rosemarie: Hello, Solo Moms. How are you doing today? I just wanted to come and talk today about comfort. And finding comfort in the midst of our storm. Last week, I was busy updating the devotional, and it's now 190 pages from 150 pages. So, I’ve done a bit of work on it. While I was recording the audiobook, I realized that there were things I wanted to say that I hadn't said, and there were kind of gaps in the narrative that I wasn't comfortable with. So I went ahead and filled those gaps as best I could, explained some things. And I think now it's a well-rounded resource for Solo Moms to shift, heal, and empower themselves to reconnect or connect with their loving Father.

[02:22] J. Rosemarie: And I want to talk about that because storm represents an uncontrollable force that we sometimes find ourselves trying desperately to navigate. And many times we want to wish it away because who wants to be in a storm, right? Who wants to be in a hurricane or a storm or something that we can't control? Unfortunately, life comes with storms. Life comes with struggles. And being humans, we can't control everything. What we can control, though, is our response to our circumstances. No matter what that circumstance is, our response we can usually control.

[04:36] J. Rosemarie: And the only reason you will be okay with not being in control—especially when life is just tossing you about—is when you are totally dependent on the omnipotent God, your Father. And I want to do a segue right here and say, this "SoloMoms! Talk" didn't start as a vehicle for me to talk about faith and God as our Father and trusting in Him. But it did start with the intent of talking about how we heal from trauma and how we get out of the cycle of single parenting. Because it's all tied together.

[07:05] J. Rosemarie: Hope you understand my trying to weave around this. 'Cause it's complicated. Our emotions are complicated. So I'm trying to get through this conversation as tactfully as I can with sensitivity and empathy because I've been there. I've been in this situation: panic, anger, unforgiveness, feelings of abandonment. And getting to the point where I just say, "I don't care." And the "not caring" is because I am so hurt that that hurt so scabbed over that I've developed this coldness and this indifference. But indifference is not healing. And it's gonna come back, you know?

[08:35] J. Rosemarie: And the promise of the Father is: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." And that's from Isaiah 43 verse 2. There are promises. There are so many promises. And God is able to keep those promises because He is the all-powerful God.

[10:30] J. Rosemarie: Now, your monster is your storm. It's real and it's alive and it's probably huge, right? Having difficulty with your teenager is not a small matter because he or she needs to be understood and you need to be understood in this whole situation. Fighting with your co-parent or ex is not a small matter. It's a real storm. If you're a widow, a new widow, it's not a small matter. Those emotions you feel—not just because you've lost your partner, your spouse—but because your children have lost their father, and you have lost your dreams of having that family, that future that you hoped would last into your old age. Those are real storms that you are facing. Money trouble, rent can't be paid—all of it are storms.

[12:55] J. Rosemarie: But I want to encourage you that even if your storm isn't stilled right now, that you will find a way to develop a trust—a childlike trust like Samantha—in a God who is totally, totally in control. That you will find that comfort. And, you know, a lot of times when things happen we are like, "God, why do you allow this to happen? Why do you make this happen? Why don't you care?" He cares. Trust Him. And trust me when I tell you that I know what I'm talking about. If you listen to this SoloMoms Talk podcast... you realize that I've been through some stuff. And I'm telling you, finding that comfort, that peace, that confidence that Jesus cares... He will comfort you.

[15:10] J. Rosemarie: I'm here if you want to talk. Reach out. And just let me know how I can help. And if you just want to talk or if you want answers. I don't have them all, but maybe just talking will help you. I'm J. Rosemarie Francis. And I appreciate you. I appreciate you listening. And I am so amazed at you, Solo Mom. So amazed at the work you are doing. No matter what anyone says. No matter what people say. Solo Mom, Jesus is saying today: I'll be the judge of that. Let me decide who you are. And He loves you because you're His creation. You're His masterpiece. Thank you. Take care.