This past Sunday I spoke at a correctional institution for girls ages 12 – 17. One of the little girls had a slight, petite frame and hardly looked twelve. The most striking thing about her was that she had perhaps the saddest eyes of anyone I’ve ever seen. I asked if any of them had lost hope and she raised her hand.
I had to fight back tears.
I spoke for a while about how I’d managed to overcome the adversity in my life and told them not to lose hope or give up, because God loved them very much and would never give up on any of them. Throughout my talk it was difficult to concentrate because I kept noticing how utterly sad this beautiful little girl looked.
At the conclusion of my talk I mentioned that if anyone wanted to pray with me to come down front and this little girl was among the first to make that journey. She told me that she’d already accepted Christ as her Savior a few weeks back when the same prison ministry group that invited me was there.
I asked. “Well what would you like to pray about honey?” She answered that she wanted me to pray for her and ask God to keep her strong when she got out and change her life like he’d changed mine so she wouldn’t have to come back to this place ever again.
This time I was unsuccessful in holding back the tears and so was she.
She put her soft petite little hands in mine and we prayed together and I’ve been praying for her ever since, and ask that you to do the same. It’s hard to imagine what this tiny little girl could have possibly done to end up serving time in a correctional institution? I rarely ask anyone why they are incarcerated and I didn’t ask her. She told me she’d already served six months.
My oldest granddaughter is about the same age, size, and has similar beautiful expressive green eyes; however she’s all smiles. She just made the varsity cheerleading squad, (in spite of this being her first year), she is doing great in school, has tons of friends, and most important parents, siblings, (and grandparents), who deeply love her.
Jesus loves His children with all of His heart and as always should be our shining example when it comes to raising our own kids. One time He set a young child before His disciples and said: “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me”. I can shut my eyes and imagine the look on His face as He looked at that little child with an outpouring of love that could not be measured.
Children, when very young, do not desire authority, are teachable, and are willingly dependent upon their parents. As they grow older they will demonstrate what they’ve learned from others beginning at an early age.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:6: “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Parents should take note.
Personally I believe that the number one reason that kids go bad is not because they are “bad seeds”, but because their parents don’t love them. You take an old lab and all of its life treat him like a beloved member of the family, lavish him with praise, and give him treats when he does well and lovingly discipline him when he doesn’t, and the only danger he might pose to society is to lick someone too much. Take that same dog as a pup, chain him up, scream at him, and beat him at every opportunity and he will turn into a vicious monster.
We start out simple and humble, as little children, and willing to be the least of all. How we end up is often the result of what we see and learn from those who have been given authority over us and others we come into contact with as we grow older. I believe that there are grave consequences for ignoring our responsibility towards children especially in providing a home filled with love. Not the least of those consequences will be seeing your children end up being addicted, miserable, incarcerated with dangerous people where they become dangerous sociopaths and wreak havoc on society and themselves.
God will see to it that they do not escape the consequences of their actions…
Matt.18:5
“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.”.