Faces

   It's been almost a month since vacation bible school but daily my my minds bears thoughts of my dear children. I think about these children's faces, faces and lives with so much potential. Some of their faces so full of peace and happiness they can't keep that beautiful smile of their faces and other faces with wonder and curiosity and then there are those whose faces are filled with a hardness and look bitter, some with such sweet innocence, others with uncertainty or confusion and yet others with deep pain and heartache.

 These are the faces of the young people of Amherst County and really they are not much unlike the faces of all those around us, in each of our little corners of this world. These faces reflect what these lives have been through and are going through.

These are the faces of the young people of Amherst County and really they are not much unlike the faces of all those around us, in each of our little corners of this world. These faces reflect what these lives have been through and are going through. 

   I think about the face of one of my young students. This young boy fights through life trying to act tough and be a man. His face shows a hardness that not many children his age have. My heart goes out so much to D., children like him are usually called rebels, bullies or troublemakers and lashed out to. They beg for love and attention in unloving ways and we respond in anger! In his face I see a child who is hurt, a boy starved for a love he was never given, a child in need of a loving and nurturing family and Heavenly Father.

 Will we love him as he is and show him the love of Christ or let his actions provoke annoyance and anger? What will you do with the little D's. in your life?

I could bring this even closer to home for many of us. Many of us have that sibling or young friend that just has a way of irking us or driving us up the wall. But you know what? That child is just as in need of love as young D., it's a lot easier to look at D. and love him but it's a lot harder to look in the face of a sibling whom you live with and show His love when you feel like lashing out in frustration and annoyance.

 

 

  Then there are the faces of those little Alexis's and Madeline's who are so easy to love, those children who walk around with that sweet innocent smile on their faces and just love you to the moon and back. 

But whether the child be a D. or an Alexis or Madeline, we're called to love. Whether or not loving be easy or hard!

   Cause loving will be hard! True love always is! It doesn't come easy, it takes a very conscious decision and effort to love this person no matter what! Making the choice to love when we're just so tempted to ignore and avoid those who are hard to love is difficult but as Christians we're not called to only do what is easy.

"Remember that people are the least lovable when they need love the most."