"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers…" (Mal. 4:5) There are two types of absentee fathers. There are those who abandon their responsibility and those who place their priority in other pursuits, such as work, to the neglect of family commitment.
Herein lays the crisis for many children. Numerous speakers in the National Fatherhood Initiative have said that fathers must fulfill their responsibility both physically and emotionally in the rearing of their children and their absence contributes to a wide range of problems.
In 1960, about seven million children lived without their fathers. By the late 2009, this figure had grown to more than twenty-four million. Involved fathers help reduce crime, poverty, teen pregnancy, school dropouts, gang involvement, and rebellion. Children who experience loss of a parent are at risk for emotional difficulties seen to grow well into their adult years.
Remember, grief is mental pain produce by loss, misfortune, injury, or evils of any kind; sorrow, regret. No one denies that children struggle with emotional, mental, and perhaps behavioral difficulties because of traumatic loss. Our goal should be the same as with an adult. Help them deal with the reality of the loss, the pain, and the adjustment and transition that must take place in their lives. These families will need support, from their communities, churches, and extended family if they are available.
