One day a couple weeks ago I was laying outside on my tent footprint in the shade of a tree. There isn’t a lot if grass here, a lot of sandy dirt, so I used my tarp that goes under my tent. I was reading and journaling as I laid outside at the preschool we were using for a retreat for college kids. A group of school kids walked by on their way home from school. They were all in their uniforms. Like most places in the world, all the kids wear uniforms here. They are usually a white or light blue dress shirt with dark blue or grey pants. The girls wear skirts and the boys wear ties a lot. They stopped by our fence when they saw me. I suppose they don’t see people with white skin hanging out under the trees at the preschool. The preschool hasn’t opened back up yet after Christmas. Here a lot of kids are in break until the middle of January. Christmas break is more like a summer vacation, it’s about 6 weeks long. I waved to the girls and said Hi. They were happy and waved and all took turns saying hi. So I got up and put my flip flops on to go talk to them. They waited for me to come over by the fence, whispering and glancing to each other. I could tell they were happy I was coming over to talk, but maybe were a little nervous too. I asked how they were and how school was. I asked their names, of which I can’t remember, because I couldn’t even pronounce them! They were all 7, 8 and 9 years old. I said goodbye and that I might see them again. I went back to my tent footprint and laid down. As I did they started to walk out of sight past the building. Each one came back to give an extra wave, smile, and say bye. This interaction made me smile and as I was reminded of Bailey my niece who just turned 8.
And as I thought about her, it made me smile even more. The girls were Bailey’s age and as I spoke with them, I could see Bailey and her 6 year old sister Danica in the way they interacted with me, an adult they didn’t know. It made me think about how there is something universal about kids. I’m not sure, perhaps it’s their innocence, that you see in all cultures. I thought about some of the kids I have met over the last 6 months. I began to think about the life circumstances that rule their young lives. I thought about the hardships and abuses they have experienced. And then I thought about kids back home that I know that have experienced abuse and live in pretty sad conditions. And then I thought about how much can be done.
I’m not talking about giving money or buying Christmas gifts of chickens for families in India, mosquito nets for kids somewhere in Africa, or presents for underprivileged kids at home. (Although they are great things to do, with the appropriate organization!)
But how can we actually make a difference in a child’s life? How can we love them as Christ would? Would He have pictures of sponsor kids on the fridge? I’m not so sure. (Again, this is not a bad thing! I’ve seen kids who’s lives are better because of programs that operate with sponsoring organizations.)
But I want to challenge us to think differently, to look for ways tangible of loving kids. Spend time dreaming about what this might look like. Ask God to give you direction and ideas. Spend time praying for specific kids or specific areas of families around the globe. Or drive around your city, stop and pour out your heart to God for the kids. Kick a ball or pick up a hockey stick with the kids down the street. Move to another country and be a big brother or sister to kids in a group home. Be a foster parent. Be an adopted grandparent or auntie. Connect with an organization and find out what they need (maybe the kids need crayons!) and how you can pray for them. (If you need an organization, I have 9 countries in which I know people that can connect you with good people that need support.) Don’t just pay for a sponsor child…write to them, pray for them, heck go visit them someday!
Think outside the box! I just know there are kids who are hurting all over the world. There are kids who go to bed hungry all over the world. There are kids who deserve to be kids all over the world. And there are so many ways we can stand in the gap and love them. But we won’t know what that is until we start doing something with God’s leading. So I want to challenge us, you and me, to commit to love in whatever way God tells us to. And to do that…we actually have to ask Him!
