In the past few weeks, I’ve had several friends and acquaintances who have asked me about the new ministry I am founding.
It’s simple really. I ‘ve had a penchant for helping kids to achieve their maximum potential for many years. For lack of a better expression these kids are disadvantaged. That just means they don’t have the same opportunities as most kids. Most come from single family homes and often the mother is absent much of the time. Often they are raised by grandmothers and in many cases pretty much by themselves.
The Bible references several single parents who became such through a variety of circumstances. While some are thrust into the role of single parent by the death of a spouse, many others become single parents due to sexual immorality or divorce. While God’s intention was for children to be raised by both a mother and a father, He also has compassion on the parent who is raising a child on his or her own.
This includes many cases where illegal drug use is pervasive and alcohol abuse is normal fare. Imagine youngsters left to raise themselves. Most don’t do such a good job at it and are heading towards the precipice of a cliff. I went over the cliff numerous times during my dysfunctional childhood so I can relate.
As I look at my kids and think about Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, my heart goes out to these youngsters whom life left behind. Who is going to provide a good meal for them or provide them with a nice Christmas present? As they progress through life, who is going to help them with their homework, teach them moral values, coach them, take them to church, talk them through the dark times of life and give them advice they can get nowhere else? Who is going to help them find and keep a good job, teach them how to study. Take them fishing kayaking, hunting, or even how to balance a checkbook?
I spent a lifetime with various prison ministries going in and out of jails and prisons trying to rehabilitate young men. While these are worthwhile endeavors I learned that the mess of life often follows them even after rehabilitation. And teaching these young men how to navigate that mess prior to prevent having a shipwreck and avoiding juvenile detention, jail, and prison is far easier than rehabilitation once they end up there. These young men need God fearing parents who will love them and teach them about God and the rest will come naturally. If that is not possible, then God-fearing mentors are the next best thing.
If parents are missing in action then mentors need to be recruited to fill the gap. The idea is not to rehabilitate but to prevent. It just requires those who are willing to take some time and spend it with a young man that otherwise might not ever get another chance. If for whatever reason you cannot be a part of our ministry through donations of time or money then start a similar ministry in your own community. I will be happy to share what we learn as we progress through this odyssey together. Just reply to this post.
It is important to understand that God’s instructions about parenting apply equally to the single and to the married. The most important thing for any parent to remember is that God created our children and has a plan for their lives. They were entrusted to us, regardless of our family situation, and God expects us to take the responsibility to raise them in a godly manner. Children with single parents may find this more difficult than those with two at home, but when they engage the help of their brothers and sisters in Christ, their children can thrive. That is where we can come in. Jesus had a special tenderness for children (Matthew 19:14), and single parents can rest assured that He cares for their children as much as He does for those raised in two-parent homes. When single parents model purity, honor, and honesty before their children, they are earning the respect that will help those children emulate that behavior. Single parents can rest in the promise that God’s grace will fill in the gaps as He helps them raise their children (Psalm 27:10).
Stand in the gap and find a kid to mentor.
Matthew 18:5
“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.”