When was the last time you complimented a child? When did you commend a child for a job well done? Or just said something to a child to encourage them?
What if your child was confident in who he/she was? Would that be a good shield for negative words spoken to him/her? I think so. Last Saturday was an example of that. I was talking to the children at our Kidz Konnect meeting about bullying. October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Did you know that?
I was dumbfounded to learn that one of the youngsters (probably 9 or 10 years old) wanted to commit suicide. He didn’t want to live anymore. He was sitting in the chair in front of me, bent over, his head was bowed down, his hands were covering his face and he obviously was severely depressed. I was impressed to go to him and tell him that he was not a mistake; that God knew him before he was born. God had a purpose and a plan for him and it was good. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Those words began to sink into his mind and heart and pretty soon he looked at me. He wasn’t crying anymore. He began to smile.
How many other children are experiencing this kind of oppression? You may be the one to help them just by saying an encouraging word. It doesn’t take much. Proverbs 12:25: “An anxious heart weighs us down, but a kind word cheers us up.”
How can I do this? Because when I was a young child, I actually tried to commit suicide. I was told I was a mistake; that I wasn’t supposed to be here. I drank some poison, but that didn’t work. Then I tried to hang myself. Obviously that didn’t work either. God did have another plan for my life. Heh, I’m only 76 years old! I have a long, long life to live.
Please consider reaching out to youngsters, not only this month, but every month. Encourage them to do the right things and think the right thoughts. You can do it and they are worth it. I know — I have seven children, 22 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. They are awesome.
Charlotte Jennings, Federal Way
