Out of the Mouths of Babes….

Today, I had the privilege of attending Scott County’s Proclamation day recognizing April as “Child Abuse Awareness Month”.   It was a first for me.  And, I was touched.  The room was “standing room only” and filled to capacity with a cross section of citizens from around the community..

All there to commemorate and to commit to sheltering our children, our future.

Judges, ministers, ladies’ Bible class members, local officials, teachers, administrators, drug prevention agents, foster parents, a whole “village’ of people joining hands and hearts to provide a safe shelter from the storm of life for those young ones who do not have that unless we provide.

It was a moving event for me on so many different levels and for so many different reasons. 

But, perhaps most touching of all were the sweet voices of the youngsters from Garth Elementary School who came and sang Michael Jackson’s song,  “Heal the world”

"Heal The World"

There's A Place In
Your Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could
Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You'll Find There's No Need
To Cry
In This Place You'll Feel
There's No Hurt Or Sorrow

There Are Ways
To Get There
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

If You Want To Know Why
There's A Love That
Cannot Lie
Love Is Strong
It Only Cares For
Joyful Giving
If We Try
We Shall See
In This Bliss
We Cannot Feel
Fear Or Dread
We Stop Existing And
Start Living

Then It Feels That Always
Love's Enough For
Us Growing
So Make A Better World
Make A Better World...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

And The Dream We Were
Conceived In
Will Reveal A Joyful Face
And The World We
Once Believed In
Will Shine Again In Grace
Then Why Do We Keep
Strangling Life
Wound This Earth
Crucify Its Soul
Though It's Plain To See
This World Is Heavenly
Be God's Glow

We Could Fly So High
Let Our Spirits Never Die
In My Heart
I Feel You Are All
My Brothers
Create A World With
No Fear
Together We'll Cry
Happy Tears
See The Nations Turn
Their Swords
Into Plowshares

We Could Really Get There
If You Cared Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
To Make A Better Place...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me

Heal the world we live in, save it for our children
Heal the world we live in, save it for our children
Heal the world we live in, save it for our children
Heal the world we live in, save it for our children

I think this event coming on the heels of Prom Breakfast was particularly poignant for me…. a result of working for Scott Countians Against Drugs fondly known as “SCAD”, I have rubbed shoulder with students struggling.  Struggling with substance abuse, struggling to survive in school, struggling with homes which are in crisis, struggling just to find food to eat and a safe place to lay down their heads at night.

It breaks my heart.

Did you know that the number one reason children turn to substance abuse is because they do not see the worth of their life?  They do know they have value…worth…purpose.  And, in attempting to find that worth, they go to whatever, whomever will provide it?

Why is that?

And, what can we do to make a difference?

I am not sure.  But, today was a good start…

“You cannot change what you do not acknowledge”  But, you can change the world when you do, one step at a time, one matter at a time,

One child at a time…

The Starfish poem was read…and, it is true…probably never more so than today, when our world is overtaken with sin and evil and drugs and alcohol and war and wickedness….when the battle is raging against a sea of troubles which seem insurmountable…

Can we win it?  I don’t know.

But, we can make the difference in one life at a time…..

THE STARFISH POEM Once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?" The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the ocean." "I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?" "The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die." "But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!" The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said- "It made a difference for that one."

.

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And, I am starting to feel a burden….a serious burden.

On my heart, on my soul….on my personhood….

What is required of me?

I don’t know the answer to this either.

But, today has grown in me the desire to find out the answers to my unanswered questions…

And, that is a good place to start.

Join me?

Blessings,

Lesa