Our most valuable assets

Hi readers,

I'm writing with a heavy heart today, but after much pondering, I think what I have to say must be spoken, or written, anyways.

This past weekend, I was taking one of my favorite three-year-olds to the local park for a few hours. It was a beautiful afternoon, and I couldn't fathom staying indoors all day. As I was standing at the base of the play equipment looking up at him, I felt someone grab at my mid-section. I glanced down and behind me to find a small boy who I'd guess to be 4 or 5 years old with his arms wrapped around my legs.

Surprised, I started quizzing the blue-eyed beauty who was dressed in pajamas and smelled worse than my dog after she rolls in the mud. His answers were more heart-wrenching with each question I asked. The truth I gleaned from our short exchange made me sick to my stomach.

He wanted nothing from me but attention, and it brightened his face to know someone was watching him climb up the biggest slide in the park. Eventually, he asked me to hold him. Without any thought, I picked up the child, grabbed the one entrusted to my care by the hand, and we started towards grandma, who was not in the least interested in our exchange. She saw us walking towards her and yelled, "Put him down! He's only a womanizing bastard like his father," and simply went back to her earth-shattering phone conversation.

"A womanizing bastard like his father? Really? He's only a child!!!" I thought to myself. Any words I had to say weren't even remotely appropriate for the little ears that surrounded me, so I said nothing in that moment. Instead, I turned back around with her grandson in my arms, held him tightly, and said, "Honey, you're not a bastard and you don't have to be like your daddy at all. You are precious, do you understand?" He was quiet. I wanted nothing more than to take him home, give him a bath, put him in clean clothes, feed him actual food, and let love wash over his little heart until he actually felt wanted. Unfortunately for him, the law wasn't in either of our favor.

The afternoon carried on, and finally, grandma whisked him away up the hill and out of sight. Nothing I had to say changed her mind, and to her, that child was nothing more than nuisance. That boy was crying out for help that day, and yet he still left as a neglected, and most probably, abused child. The law, the system, the state, his sperm and egg donors, his blood family, and myself all failed the kid. That's a hard pill to swallow.

Where do we go from here? To a world where child abuse and neglect didn't exist, I wish. Instead, let me leave you with some food for thought.

First of all, anyone that might hurt a child will answer for their actions. If not in this life, most certainly in the next. I know the heart of God breaks when children are treated like trash, and I know there is great healing that can be had by any broken person, including the discarded, unwanted, abused, and unloved.

Secondly, treasure the babies around you, whether they're 3 days, 3 years, or 30 years old. God hasn't blessed with me children yet. If He'd give me the go-ahead, I'd have half a dozen stair-steppers, but I'm still waiting. All things fair and that being said, love the ones around you. Kids, grand kids, god-children, nieces, nephews, neighbor kids, school kids, the secretary's kids, whoever. I'm not saying raise them (unless their yours, of course), but love them. Value them. Respect them. Stick up for them. Give them the time of day. Fat, thin, stupid, smart, impaired, fully-functioning, whatever, they are worth it. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight...

Finally, do something to change the status quo. How can you, an ordinary, overbooked citizen make a change?

1. Start with your own family first. If you've made mistakes with your children, make it right. Say "I'm sorry." Be the agent of change in your own home. Quit bullying, stop talking trash, and don't take a single moment for granted. Your kids (no matter their age) don't need perfect parents, but they do deserve your best efforts.

2. Vote for politicians that favor children's rights and common sense laws. Have no misunderstanding and make no mistake, I'm not talking about stripping parents of their right to parent, discipline, educate, make medical decisions, or the like. I'm talking about providing basic human rights of safety and care to those children who aren't old enough or able enough to speak up or fight for themselves. Let's do away with all of the red tape, the thousand foster home placements, the million second chances given to free-will adults who have no desire to change. Anyone can create a baby, but not everyone should raise one.

3. Volunteer. There are countless organizations in Jasper County alone that need your help supporting our youth. Maybe you have a half hour once a week to have lunch with a grade-school child. Call the admin building; they have a spot for you! Maybe you have three afternoons a week to be a TREK coach; call the district and you can start tomorrow. Maybe you have no time at all, but you could easily swing donating a package of diapers to the Children's Haven or a box of cookies to Bright Futures so a child can celebrate their birthday with their classmates. Nobody can do it all, but everybody can do something.

4. Actively fight against injustice. Stand up to the b**ches at the park that think it's okay to call their young grandsons "womanizing bastards." Don't sit in silence when you see a child being neglected or abused. Report said instances, even if your voice isn't heard or well accepted the first time, the second time, or even the tenth time. Eventually, ignoring you, and more important ignoring them, won't be an option.

The end.

Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear. - Nelson Mandela

A person's a person, no matter how small. -Dr. Seuss

A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child. - Forest Witcraft

Delightful Details

I witnessed the scariest phenomena last week. While partaking in my $0.99 daily dose of raspberry flavored Sonic water, I watched a semi truck make a left turn through a red light. He was succeeded by not one, not two, not even three, but eight additional vehicles who followed with reckless abandon. It took a near head-on collision for anyone to recognize their error.

I am not here to attack less than perfect drivers. If there were a club, I could certainly chair it. I am, however, motivated to implore you not to get so caught up in the big picture (I've gotta make it to my next appointment!) that you miss all the delightful details (red lights) that life has to offer.

It is so inexplicably easy to overbook, over plan, and overexert our schedules that often times, life seems rushed. We can get so caught up in the deadlines that we neglect the ever-so-important details.

Last year, I was caring for a precious four year old who loved nature and all things beautiful. One Sunday morning we were running late for church, and since I oversee the doughnut ministry, timeliness is next to godliness. As I hurried little man out of his car seat and into the store, he was drawn to have his weekly exchange with the elderly people greeter (tick tock, tick tock), investigate the reasoning behind the crying child (who cares, he's not our crying child), and seek out the doughnuts with the prettiest design (oh please! what's wrong with good, ole fashioned plain doughnuts?) After what seemed like an eternity, we made it past the check-out lane and into the parking lot, only to stop, mid-hurried step, to gaze at a momma bird camped out underneath a car feeding her babies off a piece of dropped bread (I am really out of patience now).

Settled in the car and flying to church, I was hit with the big whammy. "We should have stopped and gave that mommy bird some more food for her babies. What if nobody gives them food? The babies won't grow if they don't have food and the mommy will be sad."

The delightful details of life. So caught up in "big picture," I neglected the other puzzle-piece- portions of the day. No, the bird family probably wasn't going to starve because of my lack of time and bird seed, but the truth is, I wouldn't have even noticed the birds if it wasn't for an unhurried child with a big heart.

Let's up the ante. What else was I missing? What else do you miss? In the fast-paced chaos of life,  it can be easy to overlook life's biggest blessings: our spouses, our children, our parents, our siblings, and even our friends. What about the beautiful world around us? Have you ever taken a few minutes to watch a sunrise or a sunset? How about a half hour to listen to a soothing spring rain? Ever gone hiking and noticed all the different shades of color amongst the trees, flowers, weeds, grass, or sky? Life is beautiful, and it's ours for the taking!

I leave you with a challenge: Set your eyes on the big picture and run towards your goals with everything you have, but don't neglect the moments. Seek out the delightful details, and be conscious of today. It's so worth it!