My husband has been working like crazy lately. It just so happens it is the busy season at his work, and his week turns quickly into nearly 80 hours. Yes, that is just one week. Needless to say, the kids (and moi) have not been able to see him that often. The trend is that Saturday nights and all day Sundays are strictly family time. He misses them so much, and I miss him.
Thankfully this trend is supposed to stop mid-December.
It got me thinking about all the single moms out there. Sometimes being single means that the dad is just not around, but it could also mean the dad just isn't fully present even when he is around.
I have been getting up with the kids, making breakfast, lunch, dinner, bottles, spoon-feeding, changing diapers on two, putting down for naps, cleaning, shopping, laundry, bathing, and putting all the kids to bed, by myself, most days of the week.
But the role of a father is not to be helper with all these things, although that is usually an added bonus. The role of a father is to be a mentor, a haven, a disciplinarian, and a teddy bear all rolled into one. I believe it is one of the hardest jobs on the planet, that is, to do it well. I think that is why so many dads bail. Perhaps it's fear of failure or fear of how kids will change them. I don't know.
I once read in a book that God revealed Himself to us as a Father because He knew this would be a role severely lacking in our world. I thought that was interesting. There are plenty of verses in the Bible that refer to God as being 'Dad' (see Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6).
Just thought you should know that if you are a single mom, or a mom who feels lonely and isolated, I am praying for you. You can reach out to me if you need to and I can try to find ways to help. If you are a dad, I would encourage you to embrace this unique role that you are in, throw yourself wholeheartedly into it, and see how blessed you will be. It will not be easy, but you will be richer in spirit than most men.
