“Children are a blessing to be nurtured; a precious gift
from God." ~ Psalm 127:3
Amy’s high school class voted her
for ‘Best Smile’ in their senior yearbook. She had to admit, it was a pretty great smile.
Actually, it was beyond wonderful. It was like something from another world, a
good place, a world without frowns. Joy radiated
from her smile; heavenly peace too. Folks
were infected by it.
Amy was a Christian; people could see it in the way she
lived her life. She was a figment of
God’s imagination! She knew Christ had
blessed her with the smile; Satan couldn’t wipe it off her face.
If only they knew . . .
. . . that she and her sister live in constant fear of an
alcoholic father. He made her a fake ID
when Amy was fourteen, so that she could fetch beer for him when he was too
drunk to buy it himself. She sleeps with
a golf club just in case he tries to beat her again.
If only they knew that Amy literally has to play the
Mom-role now. She’s all they have; Mom
died 3 years ago and long before Amy really understood how much she loved her
or how an adult relationship with Mom might have changed things. Amy wished that it had been her Dad, not her Mom
that died in that car crash.
If only they knew that her younger sister Brandi dies a
little each day. She’s bullied at school
for the hand-me-down clothes she wears. When
Amy’s not at home, Brandi spends her time locked in the bedroom, terrified of a
father who disgusts her. She has but one
close friend. Such a sweet, kind-hearted
girl; Brandi doesn’t deserve this.
If only they knew that sometimes Amy steals money from her
Dad to buy things. Luckily, he’s never
sober enough to notice . . . or really bad things would happen to them (again). Amy works part-time at Family Dollar for the
discount she uses to buy clothes for Brandi when she can.
If only they knew . . . that school, was the only place Amy could
smile.
Regardless of your situation, parents can erase
"control" from your job description and add "validate and nurture."
While you're at it, don't forget all
that fine print about paying for things, teaching spiritual values, driving all
over town, disciplining, and setting boundaries.
Don't take this wrong; abuse and neglect are highly
destructive. But the damage can be just
as severe for kids who don't get enough validation from their dads or nurture
from their moms. Without it, they won’t
die physically - but may cease to exist emotionally. Hug any kid today – then tell ‘em how proud
you are of them.
Jesus, children are precious to you, a
blessing full of potential. The Bible
say we should always love, respect and care for them, raising them to become
the adults You intend them to be. It’s
not easy sometimes, please help us. Amen
