Circle of Life

The circle of life is everywhere, surrounding us as we each move through our own cycles of living. It is no further away than where my frontyard ends and my neighbor's yard begins.

My neighbor's grandchildren often visit them. They are 9 year old twins. I knew their mother when she was a child of nine, when she lived next door.

The girls are adorable, and opposites in personality. A is quieter, S is more outspoken. They both have distinct opinions, both are curious, polite, articulate with exceptional clarity, and have interests in many areas. They love their grandparents, their parents, each other, their baby sister, and are at peace with the world. I only see them when they visit their grandparents on weekends.

On Sundays, I look across my neighbor's yard to see if the girls are outside so I can invite them to come with me. I saw them in the yard Friday afternoon, when I met their 4 month old baby sister for the first time. I invited the twins to come to church with me Sunday.

I can tell they've been to church before. They know how to behave, how to pray, how to follow the program, and how to read music from the hymnal. They are such a joy to have in Sunday School, their comments and questions a welcome opportunity for me to share what I have learned, and to further reveal what is on their hearts.

During worship service today, the more outspoken one, S, had asked me if we still did the thing where we call out names of people to pray for. I told her we did. She said she wanted to lift up her aunt's name, and I told her she could do that. Then she sat back and waited for the right moment.

When the time came to make announcements, I looked at her and whispered if she still wanted to say something. She nodded, so I reminded her to raise her hand, which she did. Her sister, the quiet one, sat quietly, and watched.

When our Lay Leader called on her, she indicated that she wanted to come to the microphone, and he told her to come on up. She ran up to the front of the church, stood behind the podium, and realized she could not see over it. But that did not deter her from speaking.

With only the top of her head showing over the podium, she spoke into the microphone without an ounce of fear or nervousness and said, "Oh, I can't see anyone over this thing. But that's okay. (she giggled) I don't come to your church very often because I don't live around here, but I can tell that you do good things in this church. This is a good church. I like coming here, and it's fun."

You can imagine the soft sounds and murmurs that filled the room, of "awww!" and "Ohhh!" Like the sounds you hear when something very cute and very sweet was just seen or heard. Or something very profound spoken from the mouth of a child. Like when a child boldly walks up to the microphone to speak what they feel, and you know you feel the same thing but wouldn't dare walk up to a microphone to say it!

I must say that as the meaning of what she had done sank in to my heart, tears came to my eyes. I thanked God for the message sent to me, and no doubt to many others, that we do do a lot of good things, and sometimes we forget that because we are just so caught up in the doing of them. We grow tired, and disappointed, we become overwhelmed with the work that needs to be done because we see so much more that needs to be done, and we think "No one is doing that... who is going to take care of that?"

But someone notices, someone hears, someone sees. And she is a little child. Not just that little child I speak of here. There are lots of little children who are watching and listening.

Let's not forget that all that we do for them does not go unnoticed. You don't have to hear the accolades and applause from a crowded room, or receive an honorary medal to know that you are doing a new and a good thing. You just need to hear it in the small, soft, musical voice of the child who watches and follows.

If that doesn't make you want to minister to children, I don't know what will.

For those of you who teach children, in Sunday School, whether they are pre-schoolers, elementary aged, or middle and high schoolers, and for those who lead other youth ministries as scout leaders or other youth groups, and teachers of the public school system... if many, many days and weeks and months go by without someone telling you you've done a good job, or thank you for leading the youth of America, let me say it.

THANK YOU for leading a child, through knowledge and through faith. Thank you for letting them ask their questions, and for not criticizing their thoughts and opinions when they express them.

Thank you for not belittling them, or humiliating them, for guarding the sensitive things they tell you, for giving them suggestions on how to deal with problems, for supporting them when they describe their fears, and for encouraging them when they falter.

Thank you, all guardians of children, for seeking in your own heart what is right and true, so that you lead no one astray. Thank you for giving your time, your talents, and your energies for the classes you teach, the VBS programs you plan, the games, the crafts, the snacks, the plays, the songs, and the stories you will teach them... to all of you, a big THANK YOU!

It will come back to you, in a way you won't even expect, but in a way you will certainly recognize. When you work with children, you are in the Circle of Life.