9/03/2026 - Update
Greetings! I have missed you~
Before I share the whirlwind of events I’ve just been through, let me first say welcome ☺ I pray you’ve had a good couple of weeks. In the busyness of life, I hope you’ve also found quiet moments to pause, reflect, and pray — to centre yourself again in Christ and find in God’s strength the grace to face the week ahead.
As for me… it has certainly been a little crazy. Two weeks ago, as I stepped out of the shower, I slipped on the wet tiles and fell ribs first. Being fresh out of the shower and so wet, I couldn’t brace myself at all. After a trip to the hospital, I was told I had cracked two ribs and badly bruised my entire left side. For the next two agonising weeks I felt pain through my pelvis, back, and neck. I even sported a walking stick for a few days and was advised to rest in bed. Sleep was miserable, and I will admit—I’m not the most patient, patient. I was itching for life to return to a pace and routine I had fought to put in place (Parents- I know you will understand this).
As a single parent, this experience became a humbling reminder of how much we need community. My family—my mum, brothers, and sisters—as well as my church family and friends, became such incredible supports and encouragements. They made sure my son was looked after and that I was taking care of myself. People dropped by with meals, paid visits, and sent messages filled with prayer and encouragement. What a blessing that was.
It truly reinforced for me the importance of community. As tempting as it can be on some days to try and do life alone, that is not how God designed us to live. We are called to care for one another. I must admit that at first it was difficult to be on the receiving end of that care. As a single parent, I can sometimes feel defensive, as though I need to manage everything on my own, to prove to myself that ‘I can do this’. Yet through this experience, God gently reminded me of His loving design for His people — that He often shows His care for us through the people He places around us. That is Him being Father God.
Over the past weeks I have also faced a different kind of setback, and I must admit that this one felt like a heavier blow. Two months ago, I began the process of applying for social housing. The private rental market in my town, like many others across Australia, is simply beyond what I can realistically afford at present. As a single parent working casually, I assumed I would at least qualify to be placed on the waiting list — fully aware that the wait could be many years — but grateful to be simply placed on it.
Instead, I was told that I earn too much. The amount I am “over” by- is $60.
Between a casual wage and Centrelink support, the system has determined that I do not fall into the category of needing housing assistance. Yet the reality of my week to week is that I am barely scraping by. It’s a difficult thing to hear when your reality feels so different from what the numbers on a simple application form suggest.
Far too often, single parents seem to fall into a grey area. If I neglected my responsibilities or made damaging and harmful choices, there are systems that would rush to my aid and intervene. If I worked long hours every day and was rarely present for my child, perhaps I could afford more financially. But somewhere between those extremes sits the quiet, daily faithfulness of simply just trying to do the right thing.
Since my son was one year old, I worked long hours and full-time jobs because I had to. It was the only way to keep a roof over our heads and to cover the legal costs required to ensure our safety. Life was a rush. There were very many nights when my son slept beside me while I worked, as I juggled multiple jobs while still trying to remember that my first job is simply to just be his mother.
When he began Prep, something changed. Each school drop-off became harder. My little boy was growing, and time with him felt precious and too few moments of quality time. When his anxiety and sensory struggles began to overwhelm him in school and his surroundings, I faced a very difficult decision. After much prayer, I chose to step away from full-time work.
It was not an easy choice, but it was a clear one. My son needed me — and I needed him.
The year off work allowed me to support him in ways I never could have if life remained at the rush and speed we had put up with for far too long. We began homeschooling. I put him in swimming lessons, soccer, and gymnastics — so many activities that I could organise on the cheap, utilise community programs etc. Those moments were not about filling time; they were about helping him learn how to navigate his anxiety and find space where he could thrive.
Those twelve months were not wasted time. Not even close. Today he is a different boy, and for that I can only say, Praise God.
This year I have returned to work, and I am deeply grateful for a workplace that shows genuine understanding of my situation as a single parent. The flexibility to work remotely when needed is a blessing that I certainly do not take for granted. Working casually, for now, is what allows us to maintain a healthy balance, and not forsake the growth that the twelve months allowed.
Yet, I would be lying if I said there are not moments when it feels as though that very choice has somehow placed us at a disadvantage. Choosing our children should never feel like something that penalises us, yet at times it can certainly feel that way. The tension between trying to provide financially and being present as a parent can be a heavy burden to carry — particularly when the responsibility falls entirely on one person. That is made all the more difficult when the other parent is non-existent, although very much alive. In my situation, Child Support feels like a myth- something I very rarely see, even when it is only slowly accruing at a measly $4.71 per day (yep, you read that right).
So where do we sit as solo parents in a world that often feels broken, where doors seem closed and systems designed to help feel out of our reach? As Christians, what does God call us to be? And how does He call us to live in moments like these?
The Bible reminds us that our circumstances never place us outside the sovereign care of God. The Lord is not absent from the ordinary struggles of His people. Scripture continually reminds us that He sees the vulnerable, the weary, and those who feel overlooked.
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:9–10)
God’s providence does not always remove hardship, but it assures us that hardship never has the final say. Our value and security do not ultimately come from government systems, income totals, or whether we meet a particular category on a form. They come from belonging to Christ.
For those of us walking the road of solo or single parenthood, there will be days when the path feels lonely and uncertain. Yet the gospel reminds us that the Lord who calls us to faithfulness is the same Lord who sustains us in it. He sees every unseen sacrifice, every quiet act of love, and every decision made for the good of our children.
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
So we keep walking forward — not because the road is easy, but because the One who walks with us is faithful. And in that truth, we find the strength to trust Him for tomorrow.
