God's Prophetic People - A People of Passion, Purpose And Power

God's Prophetic People

In addition to the emotional impact of divorce on the family, single parents are faced with being the sole provider and often are unable to earn a wage that can support the entire family. Often, child support is minimal, delayed, or non existent, which further compounds the physical and emotional toll on the single-parent household. Approximately 70% of mothers in the United States are working, which causes additional stress for the working mother, not to mention more time away from the home. Additionally, considering that 17% of children in the United States are physically abused, 11% are psychologically or emotionally abused, and 74% of these children are also neglected, the psychological and physical state these children grow up in devastating. 3 Between the breakdown of the family due to divorce, broken promises, an unhealthy view of relationships and family, and diminishing parental involvement, all contribute to the crisis we see for the family and children. Despite these statistics, many children — who do have stable homes where well-meaning parents desire to provide for their children —are relationally starved due to their parents’ time away, emotional fatigue, or stress. This diminished parental involvement has surfaced in sending the kids off to day care centers, private schools, sports activities, summer schools, Sunday schools, etc. The parents who are continually doing this are sending a strong message to their young, and that message is: We don’t have time for you. You’re an interruption. You’re not loved or wanted . Basically, the kids are on their own; they are alone. Janet Bernardi, a Gen Xer, writes in her book entitled “ A Generation Alone” , “Aloneness is not loneliness. While loneli - ness is a state of emptiness, in aloneness one’s life is full of ac - tivities but without the aid of family or friends. It encompasses a basic distrust of people and a fear of being hurt. Aloneness is largely about fear. It stems from abandonment or neglect and leads to alienation from friends, family, and society. Aloneness is a survival technique and comes across as independence. Aloneness separates this generation from every other.” 4

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