From the Mouths of Babes

Every Wednesday morning our church prepares and feeds breakfast to any child (and parent) who wishes to drop by on their way to school. It's a small but growing service to the youth of our island. As the children arrive, a few of us sit down with them in a room and read Scripture and pray with them. The last ones to come this morning was a young mom carrying her baby boy and accompanying her first-grade daughter. We talked story for a few minutes to develop our friendship, then I read a passage from Lamentations about God's unfailing love that is fresh every new day. After the reading, I asked how I might pray for their family. The first-grader responded: "Oh, I have one; that my daddy will stop taking care of his plants and take care of us." My heart sank.

I couldn't have expressed the problems in this world—or at least the world I live in—better than this seven-year-old little girl. Most issues in life can be boiled down to one—selfishness. Here is a daddy with a sweet family. I looked in the deep brown eyes and engaging smile, a hole where she recently lost a tooth making the smile even more appealing. I glanced at Mom and saw a stream of tears welling up in the corner of each eye. I can't imagine being infatuated with plants at the expense of a child and a family. I am also impressed that this little girl understands the depth of her circumstances better than her daddy. And I am heartbroken.

The Father, whose love is unfailing and fresh every new day, has turned the child's prayer request over and over in my mind and heart. He has convicted me, from the mouth of a babe, to explore any hint of selfishness that robs the ones I love and who love me of the precious prize of compassionate care.