Calling all Kid Fans....they need your cheers!

I've been thinking alot about kids these past few days. The birth of those octuplets and all the media stirrings about it have triggered some new thinking in me. Do I agree with what this mom decided? Of course not. She was definitely thinking of her own needs and not her kids. However, like many have come out and said, the mistake has been made. Save your judgments. It's time to put all that energy on a solution. How true. It's so easy to look around at messed up kids and blame their parents or whoever's in charge. It's easy to judge and criticize parents who make blatant mistakes and even stay angry at them and want to punish them. Why? Easy. We love kids and don't want to see them hurting and going without the things they want and need. We can get a little self-righteous at times without even thinking.

Our own little town of Coleman is full of poverty. When a review was done way back when I was on the CCN board, they were showing over 50% poverty rates. With poverty, there are lots of other issues as you know. We now have the community clothing center, the food pantries and food drives, backpack buddies in the schools, caring churches and community groups, and a school social worker who is amazing! But what else can we do as individuals to reach out to some of the kids who aren't receiving that help? What can we do to help the family as a whole?

Good question, and I don't want to waste much time figuring it out. With people losing jobs and taking pay cuts, kids who already have less will go without even more. Parents will be more stressed and pressured. That's just not a good situation. Some people get angry and ask why should their taxpayer dollars go for people like that. Well, what if they didn't? Would those same people reach out and help on their own? Probably not. Then where would those innocent kids be? It's not their fault or choice to be born into a family that can't care for them, much like the octuplets. I guess I'm seeing our own Coleman kids as the octuplets in a way. They're here. They need help. We can help. Why split hairs about it? We're the adults. We're the responsible ones. We are called by God to take care of them. It's not always about money. I know a lot of us don't have extra money to hand out right now. Boy, if we're having trouble, can you imagine theirs?

Coleman, Michigan could very well be a perfect site for a missions trip, but not necessarily a church mission trip. Maybe a personal mission to do something different. Looking at our community as a place of need. Just hang out at the school for a day if you're looking for someone to help. Instead of saying, "look at that kid with the unbrushed hair and dirty clothes, say instead, look at the help that family must need". I haven't done it this year, but last year I paid special attention to a kid just like that. He still very much likes my attention and praise when I see him. He makes sure to find me and tell me how well he's doing on his spelling now. I used to bribe him with candy bars on Fridays if he passed his test. A simple thing for me, but a huge thing for him. I see all of you tutors, volunteers, Sunday School and CLC teachers, youth leaders, and community helpers doing all of that and more. That's awesome.

I'm a little serious today, but I spent time in Serena's class for Valentine's day yesterday, and it just pains me to see what I see sometimes. There was one boy who is usually so nasty around me that I can't be around him or I'll blow. Yesterday, he proudly brought in some cookies his mom made for the party. I made a big deal about how nice it was that his mom made those beautiful cookies and how he should make sure to tell her thank you from me. He was all puffed up and was a very nice kid yesterday. Before he left, he said, hey, what's your name? I told him and asked why he wanted to know. He said, I want to be sure to tell my mom. Aww.... the last time I was in there, I think I may have threatened his life he was so awful! :)

Anyway, it's so easy to win a kid over, and believe me, I remember every kind adult from my childhood who ever lifted me up! I also remember the mean ones and their words stuck too. I make sure I say many many good things so that those kids will remember mine more. Whether it's a kind word to the parent, a supportive hand for the kid, a donation of some kind, and of course, prayers, there is so much we can do to help kids right here in our own community. Compassion International and all those other groups are wonderful, but we could use a compassion small town group too! Every town could use that, don't you think?

Many of you, if not all of you who read my blog are kid lovers too. Share your ideas of how you're helping other kids so it will inspire the rest of us to do it too!

Be blessed today and don't forget to hug your kids extra hard today!!