One proud single mother and aunty...brag moment.

As many know July of 2011 was a big step in my life. It was one of the biggest leaps of faith I have ever taken in truly trusting Christ knew what he was doing. I have a friend who had been having "issues" with her teenage son. She was a mother who struggled with addiction of many forms, a mental illness, as well as had an abusive man in her life. Her teenager was acting out in many ways and that summer was starting to get physical with his mother. He had been in juvenile detention as well as hospitals where everyone was trying to figure out what his issue was. I had been in his life since he was 6 and at this time he was 12 and I as well was at my wits end with knowing what advice to give to his mother on how to handle his struggles. In July I got a call one evening from him asking me to pick him up. I asked why and he simply just said he needed to get away and would talk about it when I saw him. I picked him up and he began to pour out his pain on our drive to my house. He was in tears telling me of the abuse he suffered from his "step dad" and how sick his mother was getting again with her addiction. He didn't ever want to go back and was simply depressed. I decided to take a long drive with him so he could keep talking as this is/was a kid who NEVER talked about anything but hate. I told him he could spend the night and began praying to God for an answer. I was a single mother and could barely take care of my daughter and myself at this time. I was struggling with bills, my sanity, and just simply living with one kid how in the world could I EVER do this with two especially a troubled teenager. I prayed for two days for an answer. I was new in my following of Christ and didn't quite know if I got an answer or not but I did know that I felt at ease when I told this child that I would take him into my house but that he had to follow my rules and work with me. It was like, I just KNEW that we would be OK. His mother agreed that it was a good idea and was open to the idea of me taking care of him but could not offer much support as she was still struggling herself. At first times were extremely rough. For MONTHS times were extremely rough. This child only used his words to speak of hate, anger, and his obsessions. He had outbursts which he seemed like he could not control and was so emotional about simple things. I kept stern and strict. After months of trial and error with punishments, rewards, and anything else I could think of this child today is one of the most well behaved 13 year old I have ever met. As I sit here and write this blog I tear up thinking about how hard it was but how worth it the last year has been. I am so proud of him that I can not even contain myself. I remember the times when I was almost embarrassed to take him places because of his anger and pure hate towards life, people, things, places, anything. I remember the car rides where in a 10minute period he would have said 45 hateful things at random. (yes we counted a few times) Or the fights over doing his chores, taking a shower, brushing his teeth. The long nights spent where he would not sleep because he was either staying up obsessing over his favorite things or having paranoid thoughts about his ex step dad coming to our house. He is a child with Aspergers, ptsd, and who has suffered abuse. He has spent the last year working so hard to turn himself around with the guidance of an adopted aunty. He does his chores without being asked. He gets him self up for school. He washes his own clothes on a regular basis. He gets decent grades. He offers to clean when I am sick even when I don't ask. He helps babysit my 3 year old for a few hours here and there and treats her as I do. He respects other peoples property. He is a GOOD kid. How blessed am I to be able to see this and be apart of this? How blessed am I to be able to say I had a part in his change for the good. Yes, we are still working on things and will always be as some of the little troubles he has he can not help. He is different but in such a beautiful way. In the end I know that if anything I get to say I made a difference in a child's life. That someone didn't give up one him and that someone was me. I also get to know in my heart that I truly am meant to work with troubled youth and if God made this situation possible he will make that possible as well. Some think that being a single mother is such an extreme burden and talk about how sorry they feel for us. Struggles with money, time, and sanity will always be a struggle for single mothers, but for me, I get the blessing of knowing Christ is in my corner and so far the two children which I have been taking care of could not be better. Yup, I am a single mother who struggles here and there, but finances do not make up our family the love in our home and hearts does. Thank you for letting me brag and for those of you local any praise to this kid is more than welcome if you see him although he can not stand it I know deep down inside he needs it. :)