It was a quiet Saturday morning. My father-in-law had recently gone home to be with the Lord, and I was trying to help clean out his home so my husband wouldn’t have to carry that burden alone. My heart was heavy, and my body weary. In the midst of grief and responsibility, a text came through from a former SONshine Mama:
“Hey Heather, are you busy today?”
Truthfully, I was overwhelmed. Love and SONshine had just hosted our annual Night of Radiance, a beautiful celebration of God’s light in the lives of our young mothers. But it was followed by the reality of the deep sorrow of losing a man who was like a father to me. The funeral, the emotions, the estate—it was all so much. This was the first weekend I had to begin sorting through his belongings. I was emotionally and physically spent. My cup felt empty.
Yet, something stirred in my spirit. I replied,
“I’m cleaning my late Father in Law’s home. What’s up?”
Within seconds, she responded:
“Jake and I are getting married, and I was hoping you could go wedding dress shopping with me.”
I nearly dropped to my knees. She had no one else. No mother. No best friend. No tribe. Just me and the team at Love and SONshine. Someone who had entered her life not long ago, who welcomed her and her son into a home filled with other young mothers, who had walked with her through hard conversations, and who loved her like a daughter. Now pregnant with her precious daughter – she was getting married!
That message wrecked me—in the most holy way.
Over the past seven years, three of my four children have gotten married. Each had a tribe surrounding them—friends, family, and a mom who had become their best friend. Their dress-shopping days were filled with laughter, coffee, fancy lunches, and celebration. But this precious mama had none of that. She had me and she had Love and SONshine.
A wedding is meant to be one of the most joyful milestones in a young woman’s life—a time when she is cherished, celebrated, and surrounded by love. And yet, for this sweet soul, there was no mom, no dad, no lifelong friend to stand beside her. Just us. And Jesus.
After wiping away tears, I replied:
“Absolutely. Give me about an hour to shower, and I’ll meet you wherever you’d like.”
She offered to take me to lunch in return. It was all she knew—trading services, earning love. But I gently told her,
“I’ll be taking you to lunch—because that’s what moms do.” We both cried!
At that moment, I realized I had become her surrogate mom. What an honor. What a sacred privilege. A title I do not take lightly. And, my family, along with the SONshine Family, had become hers. This beautiful mama is the true hero of this story. She has overcome trauma, abuse, neglect, domestic violence, and heartbreak. She has risen above circumstances that would have crushed many. And now, she stands on the threshold of a new chapter—from trauma to triumph, from hopelessness to hope, from shattered dreams to dreams fulfilled.
From Ms. to Mrs.
And we—Love and SONshine Ministries—get to be part of it. My wonderful brother-in-law will be officiating the wedding, and all of us at Love and SONshine will get to celebrate HER and her soon to be husband/family in just a few short weeks.
We get to witness the redemption, the restoration, the beauty from ashes.
Thank You, Jesus. We are SO incredibly honored!
Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
