Year End Reflections on Hurting Kids
For those of us that work with hurting children, another year has come to pass and hopefully we have made a difference. I have been thinking about the children the Lord has placed in my path to minister to this past year. There were some happy and joyful times, and there were some very sad and difficult times. I think about the children whose mom committed suicide and the kids whose dad died in an auto accident. I also think about the children of divorce. There were so many of them.
I know though that all of us that work with children have the richest job on the planet. We get the pleasure of ministering to the innocent children that have an innate desire to love the Lord.
“I love Jesus with my whole heart, all of it.”
She says as she is drawing a picture of a heart.
We get to spend time with the little people who really want to believe in our Lord.
“You mean God really answers our prayers? He really does hear us?”
A little bright-eyed girl says as she hears about how one leader got a job after we had prayed for her to get a job for thirteen weeks.
We get to be influenced by the population of people who are pure in heart.
“I think about Jesus all day long everyday!”
The child says as he is finger painting.
Even in the Bible when others didn’t believe, the children believed.
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, [Matthew 21:15 ESV]
However, the children pay the price for adult decisions and for the mistakes adults in their world make.
“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls.” Luke 20:41-44 (NIV)
We know the children are paying the price because we wipe the tears.
“But why did Grandma Sue die?”
We hold the hurting.
“Why didn’t my dad come and pick me up this weekend? I was waiting for him. It was his weekend!”
We soothe the aching hearts.
“Put your hand on your chest where it hurts.”
And the child puts his folded hands over his heart and says,
“Right here! It hurts right here!”
We also get to rejoice when they rejoice. Sing when they sing. We share the,
“It’s really not my fault!”
moments when they realize their parent’s divorce is an adult decision. Dance and twirl when they dance and twirl. Laugh when they laugh and praise the Almighty when they praise Him.
“From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise…” Psalm 8:2 (NIV)
This article is updated and adapted from an article originally published on Divorce Ministry 4 Kids on January 06, 2012.
