Part of the joy of Vacation Bible School is sharing laughter with the kids.  It is a great mood enhancer to just be silly with these young ones.  Something about seeing their smile just sets life in perspective.  One reason for carrying on with them is because some of them probably don't laugh much at home.  Statistics can be misleading at times but reality says that far too many children live with abuse.  Some of this violence is physical in nature.  Some of the behavior is emotional or verbal which leaves scars on the inside.  I cannot speak to specifics without giving away too much but just know not every child who passes through our doors lives in happily ever after.  Very few things hurt me as much as this truth.

Children are helpless against the onslaught of any type of violence.  They cannot imagine what they did to ever deserve such treatment.  What happens next is that many if not all children decide something must be wrong with them.  Kids reach the conclusion that none of this would happen if they were better human beings.  This one untruth will carry the lie into every area of their being.  We have only so much time as a church to let them know just how much they do matter.  Did you ever see the absolute hunger of a child craving some affirmation or attention?  Look carefully and you will see their desire for such behavior worn like a shirt.  It is there whether or not we understand it or not.  What is ultimately sad is how these innocent ones will close their heart off as they move through adolescence.  Perhaps at some point those who were abused become abusers themselves.

Forrest Gump once said so eloquently that he may not be a smart man but that he knew what love was.  I wonder if we teach that to children?  Don't get me wrong in this soapbox.  Teaching the Bible does matter very much so.  But it seems to me that a large part of ministry with the very young must include simply letting them know that we care.  Adults can be very scary to kids.  They can be pretty scary to me most of the time.  What we wouldn't give to recapture some of that innocence and trust.  Our social services workforce are overwhelmed with this struggle on a daily basis.  All of them are overworked and underpaid.  We who say we are God's people could go a long way in joining the cause.  Our task is more than unloading information to these kids.  We are to be an extension of God's heart to those we know.

Our heart must be melted by the grace of God.  We must learn what it means to affirm rather than glare at children who know only that they need something more.  Modeling what scripture says about love and acceptance is a non negotiable when it comes to children.  We may even find our path crossing with those who are on the ugly side of life.  I don't mean this physically but emotionally or spiritually.  Forgetting what we might be like without the active grace of God will lead us to be distant or disapproving.  It also will cause us to forfeit our claim to be a follower of Jesus.  Like we said, He does love all the little children of the world.  So the next question becomes do we?

Bro. Trey