Devotional 3-17-11

And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for such belongs to the kingdom of God."--Mark 10: 13-14

Do you sometimes feel that God is trying to tell you something because you keep bumping into the same person/subject/issue? Here is what I've been bombarded with recently:

(1) A couple of months ago a 19-year-old "man" was arrested for murder. I have a 19-year-old off at college and wondered if their paths had crossed. My son said they had indeed been in high school together. He wrote, "I didn't really know him but he seemed like a nice kid. You just knew the cards were stacked against him." What a sad statement. I thought, why didn't someone restack those cards?

(2) Last week I read in Child Fund International's newsletter that they are helping more children than ever in the USA. Formerly Christian Children's Fund, they are known for sponsoring children in Third-World countries, but so many children in America are living in poverty that they are involved in more and more programs right here at home.

(3) Sunday, a young lady from our congregation told my Sunday School class about her work at a local shelter for teenagers run by the Children's Home Society of West Virginia. We were touched and horrified by her stories of children grateful to be in a shelter where a step-father couldn't beat them up, where they had food to eat and someone to get them to school.

(4) That same Sunday evening, I turned on 60 Minutes and there was a story about homeless children in Florida. These were not the kids of drug addicts, but those of families who have lost homes in the foreclosure debacle and have lost jobs due to the recession. Many small motels not far from Disney World are full not of tourists, but of families. Imagine trying to keep up your schoolwork when your family is living in one room at the Red Roof Inn, or worse yet, living in a car.

At this point in a devotion, I should be pointing out a remedy for these situations, but, alas, all I can say is my heart breaks for these children, which does them no good at all. We can pray, of course, but this is one time we must put hands and feet to our prayers. In 1 Corinthians 3:9, we are told that we are God's fellow workers.

During this Lenten season, I challenge you to do something for a child. There are dozens of agencies that would welcome your help. There might be a child you come into contact with regularly who needs some encouragement or a safe harbor. Reach out.

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. ~Rabindranath Tagore, 1861-1941, Bengali poet, novelist, musician, painter and playwright

If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all. ~Pearl S. Buck, 1897-1973, West Virginia born award-winning writer who spent most of her time until 1934 in China.

Anita Gardner Farrell