Sometimes Mark and I take a walk down to the playground nearby to kick around his soccer ball, and I wonder about the little children I see so often unsupervised. It's as if their parents just want them out of the house, and by the way they behave, you can tell that they don't get much attention inside the house either. But they're out there, an open target for anyone who would want to take advantage of these young lives, sad to say.
On the other hand, you can always tell who the children are that are well loved and cared for. They have their moms hovering around like helicopters, watching every move, shouting encouragement and praises when they reach the top of the slide, and warning them to remember to play nice with the others. They bring a pack of juice, and wet wipes for their hands, and an extra sweater, and keep a first aid kit in the car. They may look overprotective, but reality demands that if you want to be a good parent these days, you protect.
And then there were the little girls who were playing alone, one about 8 watching over her little sister of about 5. The other moms were asking each other who they belonged to, and ended up having to help the girls tie a shoe and reach the water fountain for a drink. Where was their mother, and why did she think it was safe to let them wander through the neighborhood alone? Doesn't she watch the evening news? We watched them walk off in the direction of what we hoped was their home, hand in hand, dirty and the smallest one crying because she had fallen and hurt herself. Two little defenseless lambs, so vulnerable.
The age for having children to help tend the farm and let them run wild through the fields when work is done, has long gone. The dangers for children generations ago lay mostly in diseases, hunger and the strain of hard labor. Today our children face the danger of people who would willingly commit violence against them. Thankfully there are still many good hearted and honest people who wouldn't dare hurt a child. But who are they and where are they, is not so easy to answer.
For those who want to have children, your job as their protector is a serious one. You are bringing them into a hostile world and if you are not prepared to fight for their safety, it would be better for you not to have them at all. For those of you who do have children, you have precious lives entrusted to you. Take good care that they make it through their childhood with their innocence intact.
3 comments:
A truly heartbreaking situation, to see the young and innocent being victimised by the very ones who are supposed to protect them. Parenting is no longer what it used to be, in these times we're living in what it all boils down to is "gotta make the money, no time to watch the kids", therefore they're left on their own to fend for themselves. Sorry for the graphic description of the following but just to give an indepth insight to the destructive, abusive behaviour these young ones have to go through and these are the ones that come to our attention, imagine the ones we do not know. What would drive a mother to throw her 8months old baby from a window all because she found some condoms in her husband pocket, I tell you the issue - money, what would provoke a mother to sell her 2 years old daughter for 200,000 naira which equals to $1,370, so that she can go to Italy to prostitute, same issue - money, or what would motivate a "family man" to de-virgin a 5 year old and use the blood for "money ritual", same issue - money, here comes the worst of all, a pastor taking someones child entrusted to his care to a witchdoctor for ritual, I tell you - money, etc., etc., it goes on and on and on. You can even see young ones who should be under the care of their parents having to carry large, heavy loads of fruits or vegetables on their heads to sell, why, all because of money. The rent has to be paid, food has to be bought, bills have to be settled, so wherever there's an extra pair of hands lets put them to work, because if you don't work you don't eat. It's maddening, and revolting at the same time because these so-called parents do no realize the great treasures they have in their hands and instead of treasuring them they abuse them and leave them for others to abuse and eventually cast away. Is there any wonder why we see so many angry, hostile, rebellious, stubborn youngsters in todays society. What they became is a result of what was put into them, the reason why we have to work quickly and re-capture those wondering souls and bring them into the Kingdom of God, because before you know it there'll be no more light, and then??? Let us not be weary but be more committed in making a difference in their lives.
Thanks Donna, though what you tell is graphic, it's what is going on in countries all over the world, and who is trying to stop it? Meanwhile in the US people turn a blind eye and are daily allowing the country to slide into the same pit. As they say, it all starts at home...
Eu sou louca por crianças, nao posso ver uma que tenho vontade de criar. Me dói muito ver tantas crianças mal cuidadas e abandonadas. Assistir na tv entrevistas em orfanatos, é muito triste o que essas crianças e adolescentes passam. Vamos orar por eles!
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