A Lone Parent, but not - Success Stories

Are these principles effective? Yes, as can be seen from numerous success stories of single parents. Gloria, a divorced, single working mother in England, who was mentioned in the first article, raised two sons and a daughter. All three of them grew up to become full-time Christian ministers, devoting their lives  to promoting Bible education. When asked how she managed, Gloria explained:  "The first challenge was to keep up a regular, interesting Bible study. I wanted the children to be happy, to have peace of mind, to be content, and to be protected from pitfalls. I found a job working nights.  My aim was to have the children with me whenever  I could.  Before I went to work, we had a family prayer and I put them to bed.  My aunt stayed in the house while I was at work."

How did Gloria help her children set the right priorities?  She continues;  "My greatest aim was to put spiritual things first. We didn't  have much money, and I was very open about this with the children.  Whatever I asked of them to do, I would do myself, and they were all cooperative."  Reminiscing about how she kept a close knit family, Gloria says:  "The secret was doing things together. Nobody went off to his or her own room. We cooked, cleaned, decorated together. We balanced our activities.  I always made sure there was recreation too." 

Carolyn, a single mother of a young boy named  Joseph, is pleased with the way he is growing up.  What is her secret?  "We read the Bible together at bedtime,"  she says, "and then I ask him questions about what he has learned.  Additionally, we consider selected paragraphs from the Bible-based publications and apply them personally.  This helps Joseph when he faces problems, such as bullying at school."  Carolyn admits that her life is by no  means easy, but she does not feel that she is alone.  She observes:  "It is a constant struggle, but I feel that Jehovah has really helped me. I also receive a lot of encouragement from the Christian congregation."  

The success stories of thousands of single parents, such as Gloria and Carolyn, prove that parents today can rely on the time-tested principle of the Bible to raise, fine, spiritually strong children.  (Proverbs 22:6) Success is possible!  Single parenting provides many challenges that are opportunities for growth and sharing. Relying fully on God and being convinced that he will probably help is the best way to cope with the demands of single parenthood. -Psalm 121:1-3. 

Next time: The Great Irish Famine An Epic of Death and Emigration-BY AWAKE! WRITER IN ENGLAND

From the jw.org publication