Most moms do not anticipate that raising children without an earthly dad will be their story. When they are left alone for whatever the reason, death, divorce, or desertion, they will grieve, although differently based on each circumstance.
One thing all single moms have in common is the hard season of not only carrying their own grief, but also carrying grief for their children. And on top of working through heartache, they are often overwhelmed with managing everything else alone: the home, finances, car, yard, and making endless decisions. The struggle is real, but God is sovereign and He is there!
8 ways to come alongside the single mom:
- Pray! Check out the 31 days of Prayers for the Fatherless.
- Provide practical help. Don’t ask HOW you can help but WHEN. Say things like, “When would you like me to cut your grass, Saturday morning or afternoon?”
- Set up a support system to lighten her load.
- Mentor her children. This is easier than you would think. Look for children without a dad in their lives and include them in activities with your own children, teach them a skill, and cheer them on in life.
- Assist her when she needs a sounding or advisory board for making decisions.
- Support her financially. Paying for gas, food, tutoring, piano lessons, or another extra-curricular activity they cannot afford will be a huge blessing in this hard season.
- Affirm her. The lies of the enemy against her are relentless. Let her know that she is doing a good job of balancing everything.
- Give her hope and trust God with her.
Single moms have been entrusted with a big responsibility. It takes a village to raise a child and being part of her community has the potential to make an eternal difference. God refers to the care of the widow and fatherless as pure religion, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27, KJV).
