Claim the Future: How You Can Claim the Future You Want for Yourself and Your Child

One by One recently held our annual benefit which was a great opportunity to recognize our One by One moms and to share with our guests exactly how we use the funds they donate to support moms and babies in our program.

The theme of this year’s benefit was “Let Love Lead.” And that’s exactly what we try to do. We match women who want to serve as mentors to pregnant and new moms looking for support. Many of our moms are scared, alone, and worried about what it takes to be a good mom. Our mentors let love lead: they serve our moms without judgment, and they meet our moms where they are.

Dr. Bartholomew Orr, Senior Pastor of Brown Missionary Baptist Church in Southaven, MS, was our keynote speaker. He talked about letting love lead as he spoke to the relationships we all need to teach and guide our children as they grow.

Dr. Orr mentioned how moms have visions of what they want for their children: we want them to be healthy, happy, successful, saved. But, as he put it, “assembly is required” for our children to grow and develop into a “finished product:” the healthy, happy, successful, God-fearing adults we envision. Let’s look at the three things he suggested that moms and babies need to put together the life we want.

Encouragement

We all know how important even a little encouragement can be when we’re doubting a decision or our ability to do something. Dr. Orr suggests that moms need people in their lives – such as our One by One mentors – to encourage them in their parenting journeys. Encouragement helps us feel loved, valued, and appreciated. Encouragement will help fuel the desire to do the best by your baby, and to lay claim to your child’s future so your baby has the opportunity to be the finished product we envision. And don’t forget our children need our encouragement as well as they grow and learn.

Equipment

Dr. Orr reminded us that just as builders need equipment for a project, we need equipment as we construct a solid foundation for our children’s lives. How many times have you heard parents joke that they wish children came with an instruction manual? Well, Dr. Orr reminded us all that they do! He reminded us that God gave us the Bible as our instruction manual for living life – it’s just that many of us don’t spend enough time reading those instructions! The Bible should be a blueprint for living life. It comes with instruction but also inspiration and grace – because we won’t – and can’t – do life perfectly. Dr. Orr reminded us the Bible will also equip us for spiritual warfare – and help protect our children as they encounter obstacles as they grow.

At One by One, our mentors share scripture verses each time they meet with our moms. In this way, we try to remind moms that the Bible is relevant to their daily lives and that they can turn to the Bible for insight, inspiration, and help when they need it. Our mission at One by One is to mentor and educate moms to parent well, but our vision is that all moms will understand God’s love for them and accept Jesus as their Lord.

Example

Dr. Orr reminded us of the importance of role models who can show us hope - that our future can be brighter regardless of our past and our circumstances. We can achieve our goals! He also reminded us how good people – especially our kids – are at spotting hypocrites. We will all make mistakes, but our kids need to see us striving to live well. Dr. Orr reminded us to do good works of every kind and to get our children involved in doing good works with us.

One by One mentors strive to be good role models to the moms we serve. We want to be good examples not only of how to parent well but also how to do life well – how to be good friends, teachers, leaders. We want to equip the moms we serve to be advocates for themselves and their children – to know where to go for help when needed and how to get it. We want to see them succeed in parenting and in life. And we want them to know that there will be setbacks but that if we are saved we are covered by grace. We repent, pick our heads up, and move on.

Finally, Dr. Orr reminded us that we can all help with construction of children’s lives. We all have talents to share: encouragement, time, organizational skills, financial skills. We all pitch in what we can to create the teamwork needed to build the final product – with the goal of becoming more like Jesus. When we do this, we will impact not only our children’s lives but also the health of our schools, neighborhoods, and communities.

We’re grateful to Dr. Orr for reminding us that we all have something to give to those looking for help. And at One by One, we’re always looking for Christian women to serve as mentors to moms in need. Not sure you have what it takes? Of course you do! We provide free training with a curriculum developed by early childhood educators and reviewed by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing, Baylor University School of Social Work, and The Urban Child Institute in Memphis, TN. We provide you with lesson plans for each meeting you have with your mom. We provide you with Bible verses to share and activities moms can do with their babies to make sure they’re growing and developing on target. All you have to do is take the first step by completing a mentor application and agreeing to a background check. You can do that here and get started on your journey of letting love lead as you help others build sound and godly lives.