Sing Family Home Renovation

**Campaign is now closed. Please read the closing update from Olivia Sing. Thank you to all who have been/still are part of this story**

I’ve known this update was coming, but I didn’t want to write it.  I put it off for really good reasons like “it’s not my story to share”, and “I don’t want to stir up any trouble”, and “no one is expecting me to speak right now” but here’s the actual truth…I just didn’t want to process through the emotions of the past year.  I kept thinking that we’re no longer “in the trenches”, so I could sit back and rest the way everyone was telling that I could and should.  But God said something else and it IS my responsibility to share that part of the story.From the beginning of this journey, it’s been my heart to fight for the ones who couldn’t.  In this case, it was 4 precious kids, and when I thought we could no longer fight their battle, you all rallied around and continued fighting for them and us. Not fighting a physical enemy, of course, but the dark spiritual forces at war for these hearts and lives. Once we got past the initial hurtle of keeping the children together, the support continued…willing hands built the addition, money came in, prayers went up, dinner invitations were extended for all EIGHT of us and little hands were held across parking lots and into Sunday school classrooms. But still, it was hard. Six kids under 7 years old is constant controlled chaos, even with the best behaved kids.  There were more days than I’d like to admit that I went to bed feeling discourage because literally the only thing I had done that day was parent…referee, feed, bathe, pick up, discipline, feed, answer “who’s there” to the saaaammme knock-knock joke, feed…repeat. Laundry didn’t get done, bathrooms definitely didn’t get cleaned, dinner came out of the freezer and went onto paper plates, and I finally just bought a dog to clean up the floors that constantly needed swept. 

In my heart I knew we were “doing a good work”, “loving the least of these”, and being obedient to God’s calling for our current season of life, but honestly, that didn’t make it any easier in my head. I was physically tired, but even more exhausted mentally from the fast pace, constant messes, and weight of juggling so many hurting hearts.  Young hearts that were sorting through way more emotions and experiences than anyone, at any age, should ever have to do. My own mom-guilt about not being able to give each child the undivided attention that I wanted was paralyzing on countless days.  I let Satan lie to me that “just parenting” wasn’t good enough…I thought I should also be able to build an online business like so many other busy moms, or cook dinner from scratch since I was home all day, or at the very least, be able to put the laundry into the dryer before it needed rewashed.  And when I didn’t, I was failing. I started feeling like I was doing the bare minimum to keep our lives functioning, and that someday our pace would be slower and I’d be able to do more, something bigger and better, something prettier and more admirable. Once I started doing THAT thing, God would be able to use me to further His Kingdom.  Let’s stop right there…how did I forget that I was raising WORLD CHANGERS?!  How did I let my eyes be so blinded by the pile of dishes, cut up pieces of construction paper all over the floor, or marker on the wall, that I missed the little voices singing “God’s Not Dead” at the top of their lungs, and retelling Bible stories and arguing about who gets to be Esther?!

Here’s the amazing thing that I couldn’t see before…by God’s great grace and mercy, the children were hearing my heart louder than my tired tone of voice! They were asking for prayer when they were sick or scared and would be devastated when they realized they forgot to bring their chore money for the offering plate at church. I’m so thankful that God was constantly moving and stirring even when I felt like I wasn’t or couldn’t.

So this update is two-fold…first, know that God is writing an unbelievably beautiful story! We were privileged to raise and disciple these children for a year, and they have recently left our home to continue their story elsewhere. I can’t share the details, but God has continued to fight for these children and been so faithful to show up in the smallest of details throughout this transition, in ways that we could never have predicted or imagined. My prayer is that as they grow up and start to share their story for God’s glory that they will always remember how He raised up an entire army of complete strangers to love and provide for them! We have all been blessed and changed by your generosity and prayers…thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!! 

The second reason for this update is to encourage you to continue meeting us at the feet of Jesus on behalf of these sweet children and the new family God is forming.  I expected to feel like my job with them was done after they moved, but instead I feel a renewed sense of commitment. I LOVE the family God has entrusted them to and I have full confidence in their ability to raise, love and disciple them for the Kingdom! But I also know now some of the challenges in raising a large family and can pin point exactly where I was deceived by the enemy.  So I refuse to rest while they’re in the trenches, or to sit back while their joy is under attack.  We may not be on the front lines with them, but we’ll be their cover fire. We’ll be on our knees doing everything in our power as children of God to stand for them against the enemy’s schemes, so that they are free to just parent. J We’ll be their constant prayer warriors and biggest cheerleaders, and when the time is right, we know God will fill our home again.

Love,
Olivia Sing

#SingReno