Originally published Tuesday, 22 December 2020.
‘Twas the Night Before a Single Mom’s Christmas
By: Jennifer Maggio
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the place,
Only mom was stirring, as she washed her tired face.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that something good might soon be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of Phones & IPads danced in their heads;
And mamma rushed and rushed about – to and fro,
Scrubbing the floors, and then….the commode.
Mom quickly moved to the very next task.
It was the laundry, dishes, and then…the trash.
She paused for a moment for one bite of supper.
Then, back at it again, with no one to help her.
After her house was spic and span,
She rushed to the kitchen – recipe in hand.
She pulled out the flour, the sugar, and milk,
In no time, she’d have this cake built.
As she whipped & mixed, then placed in the oven,
Chores mounted & mounted…six….maybe seven?
She sang and smiled, as she completed her list,
Knowing this special day couldn’t be missed!
Sweat rolled down her face, as she tended each detail;
Smiling with glee at what tomorrow entailed.
She rushed to the closet and pulled out a bag,
With only one small gift per child to be had.
She pulled out the tape, the bows, and the paper.
And slowly wrapped each – with love and favor.
She paused for a moment, as tears hit the floor.
If only, she prayed, she could do more!
After hours and hours of each lowly task,
The mom hit the pillow and finally collapsed.
She awoke early morning, coffee in hand,
As happy kiddos walked…and then ran!
Excited they were, as they opened gifts with zeal,
And hugged mom’s neck and let out a squeal!
As each hustled around and played with their toy,
Mom grabbed the Bible for this Christmas story.
As she read aloud, each kid was amazed…
They leaned in, and listened, with their eyes all a-glaze.
This love that she shared of the Jesus she knew,
They all quickly realized, it was enough for this crew.
As she finished the reading and closed the book,
Tears filled her eyes, as she gave each a look.
She proclaimed her love for every child – each one,
And tears flowed down, by the time she was done.
Tears flowed from exhaustion and overwhelm and joy,
The love that she felt for her girls and her boy!
It could only be explained by the love of a Father,
Who loved us enough, to send us a Savior.
And this mom took a deep breath and dried her tears.
As she realized, her Savior had sustained her for years.
She grabbed her kiddos, and rushed to the kitchen.
After a warm meal, the kids silently listened.
Mom grabbed the cake and lit it a-glow.
Happy Birthday to Jesus, the words start to flow.
This is everything I need, she knew with all her might,
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
Want more single mom holiday encouragement this Christmas season? Enjoy this thirty-minute free Holiday Night of Hope for Single Moms' hosted by The Life of a Single Mom Ministries HERE.
Holiday Night of Hope for Single Moms
Jennifer Maggio is an award-winning author and speaker, whose personal journey through homelessness, abuse, and multiple teen pregnancies is leaving audiences around the globe riveted. At 19, Maggio was pregnant for the fourth time, living in government housing on food stamps and welfare. She shares with great openness her pain, mistakes, and journey to find hope in Christ. She ultimately became an 11-time Circle of Excellence winner in Corporate America. While a vocal advocate for abstinence, and sustaining today’s marriages, Maggio recognizes that single parenthood exists and is passionate about seeing these parents thrive. She left her corporate successes behind to launch a global initiative to see single moms living a life of total freedom from financial failures, parenting woes, and emotional issues. Her passion is contagious and her story has been used to inspire thousands around the globe. For more info, visit her website at jennifermaggio.com.
The Life of a Single Mom is a national, faith-based, nonprofit that exists to see that no single mom walks alone. To date, we have worked with more than 1,500 churches & community groups to start or improve a single mom’s support group in cities throughout the U.S. and beyond. We have a large array of books, curriculum, training materials, and online instructional videos to support ministry leaders who lead single moms. Our single mom programs focus on empowering single moms to grow spiritually, emotionally, financially, and parentally through a number of projects including: Single Mom University, Single Moms Across America, the National TLSM Single Moms Conference, and a variety of programs throughout the U.S. For more information, visit www.thelifeofasinglemom.com
Jennifer Maggio is a mom to three, wife to Jeff, and founder of the national nonprofit, The Life of a Single Mom Ministries. She is author to four books, including The Church and the Single Mom. She was named one of the Top 10 Most Influential People in America by Dr. John Maxwell in 2017 and 2015 and has appeared in hundreds of media venues, including The New York Times, Family Talk Radio with Dr. James Dobson, Joni and Friends, and many others.
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