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

Kids Just Want to Have Fun……

As I stood at the top of the stairs of our local “Pavilion” for our 2012 Prom Breakfast, I was reminded of this truism…call me sentimental, but I so loved watching the SCHS students down below having good, clean fun and simply

Playing

These kids may have had the bodies of 18, 17 and16 year olds, but they had the spirit of 8, 7 and 6 year olds…and, it was…

Refreshing

The mother in me was touched with their laughter, their playfulness, their spontaneity

Their joy

Laughter wafted up the room to reach me and it made my heart smile long and wide

To give our local students…kids….children three hours of pure fun.  A time when they could lay down their stresses at the door, take of their socks and shoes and play.

Where the pressures of drugs, alcohol, sex and violence were muted and where laughing, tickling, giggling, dancing, sliding, jumping were enhanced…

Where “acting their age” was endorsed and encouraged.

I just loved it.  I loved being in that moment where you know it is a "good" moment....where kids you do not even know draw into your heart and make you want to protect them and shield them and

love them

I could have lined them all up in a row one by one and hugged them ....it was tempting.  And, if I didn't think they would think I was crazy, I might have done just that.

Instead, I went down the stairs to walk among them....

Up close and personal, it was even more of a blessing.  To see the girls eyes sparkle with delight as they were picked up and carried to the slide, to see young men "put their DOUGIE (a dance) on the dance floor.  Watching hands cover over mouths as laughter escaped.  Seeing boys pat one another on the back as they made a goal. 

Even their words were pretty sweet to my ears...

Him:  "I haven't had this much fun in a long time"....

Her: laughing...  "you mean you haven't had this much "good" fun in a long time?" 

Him:  "yea....its good to just be a kid for a night"

Priceless.

Why is it that it takes moments like this to make us realize how precious are our children?  When YOUR children become my children and MY children become your children?

And, what can we do to insure that that feeling grows into action of making more and more of these kinds of nights happen with regularity?

I don't know the answer to this.  But, nights like tonight and events such as Prom Breakfast are a start.

There is likely only a few things on which I will agree with Mrs. Clinton, but on this, we are in agreement....(and, this is a changed perspective for me I say humbly)

"It takes a village to raise a child".....and, we are that village.  ALL of us, working together, side by side

to raise and love and nurture

When I care and embrace yours.  And, when you care and embrace mine.

When, we chose to do this together...on purpose.

When we take time our of our busy, busy, yes, I understand....very busy lives to create an environment such as tonight’s for our kids.

And, while it was much work requiring many people and quite a bit of money...

It was so very worth it. 

No, it was not only worth it.  It was powerfully worth it.  Amazingly worth it.

I lay my head, body weary, bones aching, head throbbing, joints crying out for relief...no kidding.  I felt every one of my 50 years last night.

But, as head hit pillow....I had such joy in my heart.

As my husband and I joined hands in prayer, as we do each night, we added a whole new set of children to our family....our Scott County Children.  Those who are healthy, well and thriving, those who are ornery, silly and wearying, and those who are struggling at home, at school, in life.  Where just getting up and living is a battle.

WHAT is it that we can do to make a difference for these children?  What is required of me? 

And, I know with great confidence that as we pray these questions, we better get ready...because God will make clear to us in His way and in His time what it is that we are to do.

And, it will require much of us....

So, we added...."make us ready....make us selfless...make us committed.  Grow we bold...grow us brave...grow us focused".....

For, at the end of our "days"....I am in great faith that all of these things in life we pursue will not matter on whit...In fact, I already know that things will not...

It will be nights like tonight..watching my child and yours play and have fun which will make life have meaning and purpose.

And, knowing that I had some small part in the cause of their laughter..

Again...Priceless.

So, to all of you who encouraged, donated time, money, effort, items.  To you who prayed and supported and watched along with me...

Thank you.

I was blessed beyond measure.

I was encouraged immensely.

I was challenged...to not drop this until next year's Prom Breakfast....but, to figure out ways of how we can keep this continuing...

And, to draw on the wisdom and insight of those who stood as I did last night, having the same warm fuzzy feelings as I...

Who learned long before my "Prom Breakfast" revelation and who dedicated their lives to a night such as this...

They know who they are....and, I am glad for the privilege of being allowed to join their "village".

Join us?

Blessings

Lesa