Mommy, Phone Home

From everything you hear in the media, you'd think dads are the only parents who go AWOL. Articles abound about absent dads, deadbeat dads, and kids who don't even know who their dads are. It's a prevalent problem.

But there's a flipside. There are also MIA moms. Their kids are longing for an emotional connection that only comes from that special mommy-child relationship. I saw it firsthand recently when a six-year-old asked me to pray for her mom to "get better so she can call me." This little girl lives with her daddy, who is a very good parent, and her grandparents, who dote on her. But that doesn't fill the gap left by an absent mommy.

What to do? No one can soothe that lack in a child's life. No one, that is, but God. Our job as adults in their lives is to point these children to Him. Love on them like He would. Let them know how special they are. Take time to listen, encourage and laugh with them. Help their dads when they need a hand. Give them emotional and prayer support.

Do you know a child who is missing his or her mom? Whatever the reason for mom's absence, let's try to lighten these kids'  loads. What will you do?