“Motherhood is a million little moments that God weaves together with grace, redemption, laughter, tears, and most of all, love.” —Lysa TerKeurst
The journey of motherhood is one with many responsibilities and countless blessings from the Lord. That is why here at Catalyst Ministries, not only are we focused on helping survivors heal, but we are also passionate about empowering mothers to thrive in their relationships with their children. Many women who walk through our doors are mothers who need support, guidance, and Christ-like love. Catalyst Farms’ graduate, Cherish*, was one of these women—a mother who needed to be poured into by the ministry.
I had the opportunity to discuss with Cherish how her relationship with the Lord and her time with Catalyst Ministries has equipped her to be a better mother. Cherish detailed her life prior to her time at Catalyst Farms by explaining that several years ago she did not have a relationship with the Lord and how losing her children’s father to a drug overdose caused her to feel as if God did not show up in those moments. She then reflected on the year that life began to change for her by sharing,
“I myself got clean and began to pray. I had lost everything in my life except my children. When God started to show up in my life, I was able to see He had been there all along—I just wasn't able to see it in the moments of all the chaos and turmoil that had taken place in my life before due to my lack of faith in God.”
Cherish was then able to step into her time at Catalyst Farms, where she could focus on healing from her past and learn more about the idea of biblical motherhood. When asking her what motherhood meant to her before and after her time at Catalyst Ministries, she expressed,
“Being a mom to me meant having the ability to love someone other than myself, unconditionally until the end of my time here on earth no matter what the present circumstances were. Having someone to cherish and hold and laugh with and play with and encourage throughout their life and mine. After coming to Catalyst, my motherhood began to include not only myself when it came to loving my children, but also included God our Father—the one person who loved me so much that He blessed me with these two children to love unconditionally.”
By integrating her relationship with the Lord into her idea of motherhood, a passion to share the Good News with her daughter emerged stronger than ever before. She described just how the ministry encouraged her to share her faith with her daughter, saying,
“By being at Catalyst, I was able to be surrounded by godly women for the first time. I had turned my life around and God was working miracles in my life. I was baptized during my stay at Catalyst Farms. I began attending church and God’s presence was all around. I continued with my faith and thought to myself, ‘God is so good ALL the time—how can I not share the Gospel with my daughter?’ I now read the Bible with her and we talk about God’s goodness, His unfailing love, His faithfulness, and what it means to have faith even if in the moment we cannot believe, or see, or feel God. I tell my daughter to have faith and believe because God will show up for us when we least expect it. Catalyst helped me share these things by allowing me to see what godly women look like.”
It is clear that Cherish’s life experiences and time at Catalyst Farms pointed her toward the fact that the Lord deeply loves and cares for her. Similarly, the example of godly women in Cherish’s life led her to share God’s goodness with her daughter. When thinking about the legacy that she is leaving for her daughter, she reflects,
“My legacy has been and always will be loving my daughter and providing her hope, faith, and love. No matter what our circumstances are and no matter how bad the storms are, I will always be her beacon of light that guides her home. I have broken the cycle of alcoholism and drug addiction in my family. That is something God and I have done for my daughter that my own parents could never do for me.”
Just as Cherish has deeply blessed her daughter with this legacy, her daughter has also blessed her. She beamed when talking about her daughter as she shared,
“My daughter is my heart running around outside of my chest. She is made in the image of God and she is so good for my soul. She is smart and fierce and kind and beautiful. The best thing I have ever done in this world is having the opportunity to bring her into this world, so she can let her light shine for others. She is the reason my heart sings and the reason I continue to praise God and dance in the rain. She is my everything.”
Read our previous blog post here: May Update
It is undeniable that her daughter is covered in love because of Cherish’s relationship with the Lord and because of the ways she has grown as a mother through her time at Catalyst Farms. We celebrate Cherish in her journey of motherhood and invite you to become a part of empowering women to be godly mothers for their children. Your contribution to Catalyst Ministries will help women like Cherish take steps towards a healthy, independent life, thrive in motherhood and in their relationships with the Lord. Please consider what you can give to provide opportunities to mothers at Catalyst Farms—helping support not only change in their life, but generations to come.
Click here to make a difference!
—Kelsey
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31: 8-9
* Name has been changed to protect the identity of the individual in discussion.