According to Webster...nurturing is defined as, nursing; to nourish; to supply with nourishments; educate to further the development of.
I would say that within the family( two-parent household)...the mother's role is to nurture...mothers were provided with the God-given anatomy to nuture by producing their child's/children's first meal. Mothers are born to nurture. The father's role is to provide for his child/children, to protect and to discipline(teach and admonish.) Both have their responsibilities. However, in today's society...I have witnessed both roles displayed interchangeably. I suppose that as parents; in any given situation...both will fill in wherever the need arises. The mother oftentime will find herself working outside the home to help make ends meet or to be the sole provider. She will also protect her child/children as well as provide discipline(teach and admonish.) The father will do whatever he can to nurture his child/children when the need arises...he will find a solution to feed his child/children as he dose not have the God-given anatomy. In otherwords, whatever is the situation...their child/children are not left without having their needs met. Parents will give up their desires for things they may have longed for in effort to provide an environment of joy, peace, and happiness as well as food, shelter, clothing and education for their child/children.
Within the one-parent household; be it mother or father...the child/children have the same needs; nurturing, providing for, protecting and disciplining. Parenting must go on. No child/children should be left alone. So, regardless to the situation, the parent is determined to do what has to be done to cover the child's/children's needs, to provide joy, peace, and happiness as well as food, shelter, clothing and education. The parent will NOT push their responsibilities aside.
Parents love their child/children and do not want their child/children to suffer for any good thing. They know how to give good gifts. Parents love their child/children regardless to their disrespect, disobedience, dishonesty, disloyalty and/or an unappreciative attitude. LOVE gives...and covers multitudes of SIN.
As parents watch their child/children reach different levels of growth and take paths that they didn't learn in the home...they're reminded that once upon a time...they were THERE. Parents are reminded that if it had not been for the prayers of their parents, grandparents, church family and all who loved the Lord they would not have been caring parents. Parents recognize that had it not been for the love of God and sacrifice of Jesus, they would've never experienced this GREAT LOVE that they are so eager to shower on their child/children.
I am a parent who witnessed both sides of parenthood...with and without a spouse. I know that if it had not been for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ...I would not have survived. I am a witness that He is the only 'true' Source that can and will always be with me. I've witnessed miraculous blessings of love, joy, peace, and happiness. I remember that Jesus gave His life for me. I realize that all I may do or have done for my child/children...Jesus has done more for me. When I have done all that I can do...and feel that I've given my best...and my child/children respond to me with disobedience, disrespect, dishonesty, disloyalty, and an unappreciative attutude; I, as a parent will experience far less pain than my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ experienced during my days when I too walked in disobedience, disrespect, dishonesty, disloyalty, and with an unappreciative attitude.
We know that Jesus is our Nurturer and Provider...He deserves our best at ALL times. Yes, at ALL times.
We learn that as parents...our experiences with child-rearing can be painful. We MUST pull down strongholds that imprision our child/children. As we stand in the gap for our child/children...Jesus stands in gap for us.
