I spent some time today making room for the numerous pieces of schoolwork my son Christian brings home. You moms know what I’m talking about; I can’t bear to recycle them.
Artwork by a sponsored child in Guatemala
As I was sifting through the papers, I came across Christian’s adoption information. I spent hours reading the details about his birth mother and father — their backgrounds, their family history, and how we came to be Christian’s parents — but what amazed me was the personal letter that our social worker included in her report to Christian.
I was so touched by her tender love for him and her concern that he would be uplifted by the experience. This led me to remember a section of Wess Stafford’s book, Too Small to Ignore, in which Wess talks about the value of children.
“A life can be launched with as little as a single phrase, an uplifting word, or an act of kindness. The spirit of a little child is a lot like wet cement. When a child is young, it takes little effort to make an impression that can last a lifetime.”
Wess goes on to say,
“Nothing thwarts the efforts of Satan to destroy little lives more than a caring adult’s timely intervention to build up their self-worth and assurance of being loved. The path of destruction can end with you. You can decide, as I have, that you will be an instrument of grace in the hands of God.
Every child who crosses my path in the grocery line, at church, or at the ballpark I consider a divine appointment, an opportunity to lift that child up — if only for a brief moment. It may just be the moment that will launch a life or restore one that needs kindness today.”
“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.” —Luke 18:16–17
Prayer: Dear God, we thank You for the reminder of the amazing gift we have been given, the incredible privilege of investing in the life of a child. Please help us to recognize all the divine appointments You put into our paths this week. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tracy Smith works as an Advocate Network National Manager in our Compassion Canada office.
Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.