I’ve been a single mother for over a decade now. And let me tell you—it’s been the most beautiful, exhausting, rewarding, tear-stained, faith-filled, purpose-driven journey I’ve ever walked. Being a mom to my beautiful angel is the best thing that ever happened to me. But that doesn’t mean the road has been easy.

There have been days I’ve felt forgotten. Days I’ve felt like I’m carrying the weight of the world with no backup plan and no breathing space. Days I’ve felt like the dreams I had for myself were buried so deep, they’d never come back up again.

And that’s exactly why the Lord used a Tuna plant to preach a whole sermon to me.

Months ago, I planted a piece of Tuna in front of the house. If you know anything about the Jamaican Tuna plant, you know it’s strong, healing, and resilient. We use it for just about everything—from inflammation to skin care to hair growth. But after a while, this one I planted began to dry up. It shriveled. It curled. It looked dead.

So I stopped checking on it.

I didn’t uproot it or dig around it—I simply moved on. In my eyes, it was gone. But one morning, while I was out exercising, I glanced over to that same spot. And I froze.

Three new sprouts were breaking through the soil.

That same Tuna I had written off as dead was very much alive—and thriving.

And in that moment, I heard God so clearly:
“What you thought was dead was just planted. Stay long enough to see what I’m growing.”

That brings me to Judas.

We all know the story—he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. And when he realized what he’d done, he was overwhelmed with guilt. In Matthew 27:5–7, Judas throws the money into the temple and goes out and ends his life.

What always hits me is this: if Judas had just stayed a little longer…
If he had waited a few more days…
He would have seen the resurrection.

He would have realized that Jesus had to die. That his mistake didn’t cancel God’s plan—it helped fulfill it.

As mothers, especially single mothers, we carry so much. Guilt. Regret. Pressure. Sacrifice. We plant dreams and hopes for our families, and sometimes, it looks like nothing is growing. Maybe you’ve planted faith in a child and all you’re seeing is rebellion. Maybe you’ve planted a vision and now it feels dead. Maybe your strength is running on fumes, and you’re wondering if anyone even sees you anymore.

But let me remind you, mama—God sees.

And the seed isn’t dead. It’s buried. There’s a difference.

Isaiah 43:18–19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

God is doing something right beneath the surface of your life.

The Tuna looked dead. So did Jesus in the tomb. But both were part of a process—not the end.

I don’t know what your “dead” situation is. Maybe it’s the dream to start your own business. Maybe it’s the confidence you lost somewhere between broken relationships and sleepless nights. Maybe it’s the belief that you’re more than just a title—“Mom.”

But can I speak life over you today?

You are not buried. You are being planted. And planted things grow.

Hold on, mama. Don’t walk away too soon like Judas. Don’t make a permanent decision in a temporary moment. If you stay just a little longer, if you trust God just a little deeper, you will see the purpose in your pain and the fruit of your faith.

You are still part of the resurrection story.

So today, I encourage you—check the soil again. That thing you gave up on might be sprouting. That dream might be waking up. That seed might just be getting ready to push through.

What looked like the end is not the end.

God is still working.

Stay rooted.

Stay expectant.

Stay long enough to see what God will do.

— Alecia S. Spence