The wishes of children

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."  -Plato

If you ask the Lord to open your eyes to the pain and brokenness around you, it will happen.
Two weeks ago, He opened my eyes to the stuff happening right here in Wichita. 
Last week, He opened them to what is happening right at our church and in our school district...

Our middle school youth at church were asked to write down one of the greatest "stressors" in their life right now.  Sadly, their stress goes beyond homework and peers.  These kids admitted divorce, death of parents, various abuses, thoughts of suicide...

And Keane's fourth grade class was asked to write down a special "wish."  His teacher took a side-view picture of each kid- looking like they were blowing dandelion seeds- and posted these wishes in the hallway.  I took a moment to read all of them when I was at his school last Friday. 
Remember, these are fourth graders. 

One girl wished her twin brother had not died hours after birth.
One girl wished for a million dollars so her parents could pay their taxes.
One girl wished there was no war- so her dad would not have died as a soldier.
One boy wished for no cancer so his aunt would not be sick.
One girl wished she had long, beautiful hair (she is recovering from cancer).
One boy wished his dad would come home.

Plato said, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."  So true.  Everyone has a story and often those stories are filled with pain and struggle.  Be kind.  Jesus went beyond that to say, "love."  Love your enemies- because you don't know why they are so filled with hatred and violence.  Love your neighbor- because you don't know what goes on within their four walls.  Love yourself- because you have already walked a long road and you don't know what else is in your future.  Love "the least of these"- because no one else loves them.  Love the poor- because the world rejects them.

Again, we don't have to get on an airplane and fly around the world to find the broken.  They are in our neighborhoods.  They are in our schools.  They are in our churches. 

Think about it,
b.