Mommies Making Moves: Ivy’s Story

Ivy Smith props almost-two-year-old Iya Amel on her lap. Reading bedtime stories is a nightly ritual for mom and baby.

“You, you, when God sees you, God delights in what is, and sees only what’s true,” Smith reads. While the words carry an upbeat tune, the message holds a powerful meaning.

While single motherhood has its challenges, Ivy prioritizes keeping God at the center of her and her daughter’s life.

“Being on this journey of being a single mother has really just expanded my capacity for my faith in God,” Smith said, “I can only see up the road, but God can see down the road and around the corner.”

Ivy thinks back to just a year and a half ago when God’s work was on full display. After four days of intense labor and an emergency c-section, Iya was born on March 25, 2020.

“My daughter came out kicking and screaming; she was healthy, pink, 7 lbs 4 oz, 20 in long,” Smith said, “It was God showing me how much he was advocating for me and how much he was on my side regardless of what it looked like in the world at that time.”

Amid all the tears of joy, Ivy suffered in silence as a new mom and wife.

“Our marriage wasn’t ideal; there was just a lot of mental and emotional abuse,” Smith said, “That eventually led to physical abuse… even during my pregnancy.”

After battling through one of the most challenging seasons of her life, Ivy made the tough decision to leave her abusive marriage behind. Her daughter, Iya, was just a few months old at the time.

“The strength to leave, the desire to live a better life for myself and my daughter, it just sprang up in me,” Smith said.

Since that moment, Ivy has allowed God to turn her pain into purpose. She started the Virtue + Victory ministry.

“Virtue + Victory to me meant not allowing your circumstance to define the road you have to take,” Smith said.

What started as a personal blog in December 2020 is now an ever-growing church. Ivy hosts the “Word + Worship” service virtually every Sunday.

“I had also experienced some church hurt in the dissolving of that marriage,” Smith said, “pain led me to a life of being able to minister to women who have severely compromised self-worth and self-esteem.”

What the enemy meant for evil, God has turned for Ivy’s good. Now she hopes to set the standard for her daughter.

“I want to be a role model to her. I want to show her what a woman of God is, and I want to show her that you don’t have to have the ideal picture,” Smith said, “God is not afraid to meet you where you are. You just have to be open to receiving that.”

You can watch Ivy’s video story here.

Do you want to choose Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life? 

Pray this prayer;  

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin.

Please forgive me.

Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior.

Now, help me to live for you the rest of this life.

In the name of Jesus, I pray.

Amen.