Saturday, May 9, 2009

In the World, Not Of It

So often, I hear people say they pity the children who are born into this terrible world, or some variation of that. I have heard some say that it's irresponsible or even cruel to bring a child into the world in the condition it's in.



I must disagree.



Yes, the world has its problems, and I'm not trying to minimize them here. There are quite a few things that really need fixing (I do not believe that "over-population" is one of those things, but that is a topic for another post)! We human beings have not been very good stewards of the world God gave us. There is plenty of ugliness and sadness and suffering in the world. But there is still a lot that is wonderful and beautiful and joyful, too. I see this most clearly through children.

Children see the world as a new and wondrous place--and it is! They see the beauty in the everyday; they see the simple miracles that we too often overlook. They ask a million questions, and don't get discouraged if they can't find the answers right away. They don't limit their minds to what is "possible" according to some expert who says it can't be done; they seek ways to make it happen. They are wonderful examples of what we should be.

I look at my children, and I see faith. Faith in themselves, in their father and me, in others, and especially in God. Faith that can't be restrained or limited by silly things like "red tape," or what others may think, or past failures, or the possibility of future failures. They don't limit their thinking; if someone told them, "No one's ever done that," they're more likely than us adults to say, "Really? That means I could be the first to do it!"



I look at my children, and I see hope. Hope for the future, and hope for the world, because each of them has something special to offer. They have such incredible potential! I'm not talking about monetary success or political influence or world domination--I mean that they have the potential to do great things for God's children, if they will only let God lead them. Or they can do little things with great love, and still have a huge impact on others. I know this is true for each and every child, and each and every one of us who used to be a child!


I look at my children, and I see love. They love with everything they have. When my preschooler, S, wants to show his love, he tackles me with hugs and kisses--he puts his whole self into it! Even when he's a little shy of strangers, he smiles with his whole face--from his timid grin to his shining eyes. How often do adults smile at strangers like that--a shining, complete, sincere smile? How often do we hold back a little instead? How often do we adults hold back some of our love from neighbors or friends or even our spouses, for fear of getting hurt?

Children are blessings, not burdens. Is it even possible to have too many blessings?

I'm certainly not saying that every woman of child-bearing age should have as many children as she can--far from it!--but that every person, regardless of the circumstances of his or her birth, is not only valuable, but priceless. We adults, with all our knowledge and wisdom and experience, used to be children, too.

We seem to have forgotten that.