Last Friday,  at food distribution, I met a new volunteer.  She and her daughter were serving with us for the day. She wanted to know more about Bridge of Hope and how it started ten years ago….

I smiled and then began to tell the beautiful story of how my precious son Nathan, was my inspiration. God blessed me with the incredible gift of being a mom.  God walked with me as a young single mother. He taught me how to parent Nate.  Through the journey Nathan and I shared together, God provided for us, cared for us, and brought vision and compassion for others and what challenges they maybe facing.

I was also given the gift of finding out who I was, and a taste of how God loves me.

All of this was given to me, attached to the gift of my son:  Love,  Determination,  fire to give my all to this gift, tireless, fierce, believing, protective, prayerful, choosing LIFE, treasuring him, perseverance, reliance on God, thankful for every moment, joyful, careful, being present, passion, fulfillment, LOVE.

Seeds of Bridge of Hope were planted on my journey as a single mother. I waited on tables at the time, and was just starting out on my own. There were things I needed to do and to have, in order to provide a stable, loving home for Nathan.  God brought provision through others. He brought strength and friends to walk beside me. He brought wise counsel, healing and community.   That is what Bridge of Hope is about.  We strengthen families in transition by providing love, the things they need, along with community support, to help them on their journey. The hope is that they would see through our actions, that God sees them. That He cares and loves them and has a plan for their lives that is good.

After I shared with her all of these things, I then told her, that my Nathan recently died.

All the gifts of love, and mothering that I received when I became Nathan’s mom, have not left with Nathan’s passing.  They are apart of me.  I am still his mother. I cannot give him that any longer but they will now carry me in this next part of my life:  Love, Determination,  fire to give my all to the gifts God has given me, tireless, fierce, believing, protective, prayerful, choosing LIFE, treasuring him and others, perseverance, reliance on God, thankful for every moment, joyful, careful, being present, passion, fulfillment, LOVE.

God gave those to me then to do what was before me as Nathan’s mom, and they are here for me, for such a time as this.