Parenting is not for the faint of heart. I realized this the day my wife and I brought our son home from the hospital. It’s terrifying to think that you are responsible for this tiny, vulnerable being. As a parent, I felt a sense of responsibility — a desire to protect my son — that I had never felt before.
But the day my son took his first steps, protecting him took on a whole new meaning. He reeled through the house, stumbling into walls and tripping over his own feet. It seemed that each day he had new bruises, new bumps, new injuries. But most of the time, my little boy picked himself up, rubbed his new “owie,” and set off on his next adventure.
I am continually amazed by the resilience, the seemingly super-human strength, of children. Tumbles rarely slow them down. Hurt feelings can be hugged away. Even in poverty, I see children overcome life’s hurts in ways that I can’t understand. I meet children in my travels who see things that can destroy adults — abuse, neglect, hunger, death.
When I visit Compassion-assisted children, I see a spirit of endurance. It was ignited when they faced their first loss or endured their first suffering. It continues to burn bright, nurtured by their sponsors and the staff at their Compassion centers. And their amazing resilience is further strengthened by you and your prayers.
As you pray for the children in this month’s prayer calendar, would you pray for their stamina? Pray that God will enable them to continue to stand back up, even as poverty tries to push them down. And pray that they will know the helping hand of loved ones who provide moments of comfort and peace.
Your prayers are heard by our Father — and there is none more resilient than Him. Thank you for your faithfulness in lifting up children in poverty, for easing their load, one prayer at a time.