One marriage expert says a single mother sent him a story that helped explain the loneliness and stress often faced by those raising children alone. She said she was looking out of her window one drizzly day and saw a mother robin and her little ones perched in a nest. As the rain poured down, the mother bird covered her chirping chicks beneath her extended wings. Then the hail began to fall. Instead of tucking her head safely in the nest, the mother robin raised her head upward and took the blows to protect her young. All of the chicks made it safely through the storm. What a graphic illustration of the challenges of single parenting! The responsibility of raising kids alone is unrelenting, requiring a mum or dad to earn a living, cook, clean, supervise homework, take care of sick kids, and so on. Beyond these day-by-day duties, they must figure out how to meet their own personal and spiritual needs. Taken in context, this may be one of the toughest assignments on earth. Single parents, whether mothers or fathers, need our continued support and prayers. To those who are taking the blows on behalf of their children, be assured that there are better days coming. The storm you’re in won’t last forever. A beautiful rainbow will soon appear. When the job has been completed and a brood of healthy little birds has been raised, there will be sweet benefits for the parents who don’t fly away. God’s Word promises: ‘Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.’
