Genesis 33:5 states, “And he (Esau) lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with you? And he (Jacob) said these are the children the Lord has given me.” There’s something special about children. Children are our most precious possession! The Lord Himself has given us the gift of children who love us unconditionally. There is no greater responsibility than being a parent or grandparent.
It’s easy to complain about the things you don’t have, and overlook or take for granted the things you do – simple things that enrich your life! Maybe this story by Dr. James Dobson will help change your perspective. “Some time ago a friend of mine punished his three year old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became upset when she tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, ‘this is for you, Daddy.’ He was embarrassed by his earlier over-reaction. But his anger flared again when he opened the box and found it empty. He shouted at her, ‘Don’t you know that when you give someone a present there’s supposed to be something inside?’ The little girl looked up with tears in her eyes and said, ‘Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty. I blew kisses into it. I filled it with love and wrapped it up just for you.’ He was crushed. Quickly he put his arms around her, hugged her and asked for her forgiveness. My friend told me that he kept that gold box by his bed for years, and whenever he got discouraged he’d take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it in there. In a very real sense, each of us parents has been given a gold container filled with the unconditional love of our children. There’s not a more precious possession anyone could hold.”
The children return to school this upcoming week. Please take a moment today to pray for all of the students, their teachers and schools. The pressure that society places on young people today is immense and they need all of the prayer, encouragement and the time we can offer.
Children are a Gift from the Lord!
