My heart is to reach children.

Nyahuka village, Bundibugyo, Uganda is an amazing place to do that.

Childhood is not closely guarded and protected there. As young as eighteen months old, you see them wandering up to the road to watch a passing vehicle, their tummies distended, their bodies completely naked. The little girls are the property of any boy or man who wishes to explore them. The little boys a victim of their culture’s definition of manhood; one who dominates. Children are routinely underfed, undernourished and underloved.

These little helpless ones are the cherished desire of our Father’s heart. In a breathtaking new book, Too Small to Ignore; Why Children are the Next Big Thing, Wes Stafford (the president of Compassion International) powerfully proclaims the worth of children. And the strategic importance of reaching them with the gospel.

For me, the opportunity to touch a village full of hurting children is a dream come true. To be able to reach out with His love and compassion and meet their need for hope will be amazing. I can’t wait . . .

But for each of us, there is no need to wait for a village of African children. God has given us children everywhere we look. All of these children, American and African and every other nationality, need hope. We have HOPE , will we share it?? Try a smile, a handshake or hug, some respectful conversation. Ask a child in your life to share something important about their day or their dreams. Tell them about the God you know, if not through words, through your actions.

Let your actions tell them about the living God who desires relationship with us, who loves us with an endless love, forgives us with endless grace, and shows us endless mercy. If you want to know how to treat the kids in your lives, look at the way God treats you. We are His children, the apple of His eye, His most precious possession. And He treats us as such . . . .

If you’re anything like me you’ll feel unable to love the children, the people, in your life with Christ-likeness. That’s where trust comes in, and dependence. God knows how to make us into people who bring genuine hope in the lives around us. Let’s just tell Him where we are, and ask Him to change us into who we need to be.