Your caring matters.
The attention and attitude, your presence and posture matter to the children you serve before and after school.
Here is a story of Jesus blessing children that reminds me of how much it matters:
But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.
“If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
[from Gospel according to Mark 9:33-37 NKJV]
Take a few moments to soak in the loving attention and caring presence of Jesus with the children.
Imagine that is you being drawn close, embraced by the safe and strong kindness of Christ.
And if we take Jesus at his word, when you care for children “in his name” – inspired by his presence in your life – God is present to that little one.
Whoa.
Your caring matters.
You showing up matters.
You being present matters.
You being attentive and safe and trustworthy matters.
Your work matters.
The children you care for matter.
You matter.
If you’re anything like me, sometimes you get in a melancholy attitude and you wonder – does it matter if I show up, if I care, if I put in the effort?
Yes, you matter – it matters how you show up, how you prepare, how you play, and how your pray.
Your presence and prayers of love matter to the children and youth in your life.
You praying for the kids in your care matters.
You praying for their families matters.
You praying for your family matters.
You praying for your coworkers matters.
You praying for your self matters.
If we look around at the world as some kind of guide for how much children matter, how much our caring for them matters, if you based it on wages or prestige or fame, you’d have to conclude that there’s a lot of “talk” but in reality it’s a low value.
But when you listen to the words of Christ, when you see his example, when we believe his instructions, we can conclude that caring for children in the way of Jesus is bring Heaven to Earth, is how God is present to the little ones in our life.
Whoa.
When we care for children with the tenderness and strength with which God loves us, when let children into our life the way we let Jesus into our life, the way we “receive” children is a way for us to “receive” God.
Being with children is a holy, sacred, beautiful, joyous work that requires us to be humble, forgiving, loyal, trustworthy, open, and playful.
It requires lots of love.
St. Paul in his letter to a church failing miserably at honoring each other, he wrote a memorable, provoking, lyrical poem to inspire them to love like God loves them.
It includes this reminder: “love is patient, love is kind.”
It’s a very practical and concrete example.
You know when you have been irritably impatient with a child, when you have spoken unkindly in exasperation and weariness.
It’s easy to defend our impatience and unkindness: if “their” behavior was better, or if we weren’t so tired, or…etc.
But: patience and kindness are acts of love precisely because we are usually irritated by something, generally weary and easily exasperated – it’s in those dreary moments that love is needed most.
When you are at your best with children it’s usually when you’ve chosen patience while still irritable, choosing kind words instead of snapping back – you know when you do it, you sense it in your spirit, and even if no one notices or compliments you on it, it matters, God sees it, and it is significant.
Keep doing the work of patience and kindness when you are tired and stretched thin – it’s good for your spirit, it’s healing for the spirit of the children in your life, and it’s a way that God is present in our midst.
I invite you to meditate on this artistic images of Jesus, to see the patience and kindness in his presence with the children.
See yourself as one of those children, receiving his patience and kindness.
See yourself as being one with Jesus, giving patience and kindness to the children in your life.
Take a moment to text a friend or send a note in the post mail, reminding them that they matter to you, to God, that their caring and kindness to children matters, and that their work matters to families in our community.
May the Grace and Peace of Christ Jesus be with you, always.
