"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
“Children seldom misquote. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said!"
“When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments — tenderness for what he is and respect for what he may become.”
“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.”
Over the past few days, the topic of life and children has come to the forefront of our minds. Now I am not going to dive into the specific issues that our culture is dealing with right now, but I do want to share some thoughts which have been on my heart as I've watched these events unfold. As a pediatric nurse, I am surrounded by the reality of life and children every single day. I can honestly say I have learned more from my short time in nursing than I ever imagined possible! To be a nurse has taught me to view life in a totally new way. It has taught me not to take certain things for granted, like the ability to have a child whenever a couple wants to or even the hope that a pregnancy will be carried to term and the child born will be healthy! Those things aren't a given, and I think our culture has lost a lot of perspective on some of the most basic issues surrounding life and children. We need to reevaluate our abilities and responsiblities as stewards of these young lives.
Why pediatrics? I've gotten this question so many times since I've started working as a peds nurse. I never imagined when I started nursing school that I would begin my career working with children. Yet the moment I started precepting with kids, I realized this was where my passion lay. To see the weary eyes of a sick child sparkle when they find a glimpse of happiness in the midst of sickness and pain is a miracle every time. It may be something small: sometimes all it has taken for me is a blob of playdough, a silly game, thermometer karaoke (hey, we use what we can get!!), or simply taking the time to be present with them in the moment. To be privileged enough to touch a child's life, even in a small way is a blessing I thank God for each and every day.
Working as a pediatric nurse and growing up as the oldest of nine has taught me that being surrounded by children brings an incredible responsibility. There are constantly little eyes turned up to me, sometimes the rose-colored glasses of doting younger siblings, other times the little face lying in the hospital bed in front of me. Regardless of where I am and who I am with, I need to be living out a godly example to every child I interact with. Jesus has an incredibly sober warning for anyone who fails to set a good example: "If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea." We WILL be held accountable for how we act in front of these children. Goodness knows children are like sponges and soak up every bit of good and bad influence they see in front of them! We need to guard our steps and make sure our own sinfulness is not leading them into sin as well.
In Mark 9, Jesus' disciples were having an argument about who was "the greatest." Jesus does not lose patience with them but instead tells them, "'Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.' He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.'" Jesus didn't tell his disciples to turn their eyes upon the most influential people they could share their ministry with. He didn't tell them to welcome those who could give them anything in return. Instead He told them to open their arms to the little children.
One of my favorite passages is Mark 10:13-16. It so beautifully and richly captures the boundless love our Savior had for even the youngest of His people: "People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them." Just take this scene in for a moment. Jesus had the opportunity to minister to countless people, and out of all of these He chose to place His hands on the little children. The example of a child was the one His disciples needed most.
I know that having and being around children is not a reality for everybody. Four times my own mother has lost a life growing inside of her. I remember the first miscarriage I was aware of filling me with such an enormous sense of loss and confusion. Why was this happening? Watching my mother experience the pain and the unfathomable loss of a child she carried for a short time in her own body impacted me immensely. Jamie Anderson put it this way: "Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.” I think this sums this up perfectly. Whether it is mothers who lose their little ones too soon or those who desperately want to become mothers watching the years slip by, they all have love which cannot be poured into a child in their arms.
"But you've had it so easy..." Now it's true: I have never personally experienced the horrific circumstances many people have gone through. Sexual abuse, crushing pressure, financial burden, hopeless fear, burning shame, or searing loss...God has spared me so, so much. Yet when it comes to the issue of abortion, I am the first one to say that I don't for a moment view myself as any better than any woman who has made the decision to end the life inside of her. Do I believe this is undeniably wrong and inexcusable under any circumstance? Certainly! But do I believe that any one of us would be capable of making the same sinful choice in her shoes, apart from God's grace? Absolutely. Praise God that His grace is not limited by our sins or even our capacity to turn to Him when we make mistakes. Surely if God's love and power can reach into the depths of His people to form them in the womb and make them for Himself, His grace can touch and redeem even the most helpless sinner.
"For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people." --Titus 2:11
NOT just some people. Not just the people who have it all together. Not just the people who have made all the right choices. If any "good" choices I have made are viewed in the light of God's grace, do I really have any reason to boast?! Paul sums this up in 2 Corinthians 12:9: "'But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." The only leg I have to stand on is my weakness and God's strength. I don't know about you, but I believe with all my heart that is a very good place to be!
"There is no footprint too small to leave an imprint on this world." We see this in the children before us each and every day. Some of them leap with joy and life; others fight constant pain and sickness. We see this in the children we never get to meet in this world. In the lives that we never got to know, in the laughter we never got to hear, in the hands we never got to hold. There is no life that is purposeless or meaningless, no matter how short. There is no life that is not beautiful in God's sight and precious in His eyes. There is no person beyond the reach of God's immeasurable grace and love. Hold onto this truth today, and have faith like a child.
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