I LOVE kids! I love babies, young kids, tween kids, teen kids and millennial kids! I love them all! I am a mom, was a camp mom called Mama Hummer, and was “everybody’s mom” when I lead a large single parent family ministry. I led Divorce Care For Kids (dc4k.org) and a divorce class for teens called The Big D.
I have held countless devastated kids while they sobbed about their broken families, stayed up late sitting at a picnic table at camp while kids would tearfully tell me the hurts they had at home, and sit with teens by the hour at coffee shops while they wrestled with burdens on their heart.
On the other hand, I would sit at ballgames, concerts and competitions and cheer kids on at ball fields, schools and concert halls. I have mediated parents and their kids to help them communicate better, forgive each other and help their families heal.
Today, I lead Chained No More, a class with a book I wrote for the adult children of divorce and other childhood brokenness ( robynbministries.com/chainednomore). Most of our participants usually grew up in horribly dysfunctional families, which included various types of abuse. Sometimes I am amazed that they even survived! They have defined themselves by the damage they carry and what a blessing it is to see them truly heal and find out who they were really meant to be, according to God’s Word. Each session is emotionally hard work, and as they “unravel” the issues they have dragged through their lives for years, they see why they have had trouble with relationships, trust issues, anger, depression and the inability to trust.
Like I always say “Kids pay the highest price”. They are born into families where maybe one or both of their parents have been abused in their childhood and they bring that forward to their own children. I watched Dr. Phil today and cried as he unpacked the story of those 13 children who were locked up and abused their entire lives. They found out that their mother had also been horribly abused, so she didn’t know how to be a safe parent. None of their neighbors knew about it and their extended family just thought they were a “weird family,” One of the police officers said that if we even THINK something is going on in a house, we can call child protective services and ask them to do a “well-check.” We may be mistaken, but isn’t it worth it to save children from such destruction??!!
My heart soars when I hear babies and children laughing. I love to see the excitement in kids when they do something well, make a basket or a touchdown, accept applause at a concert or just happy to hear they are going to Disneyland. Jesus must find delight in that sound too.
Take time to talk to your kids and grandkids face to face, do fun activities with them, tuck them in, love them with unconditional love, and most of all, sit back and just listen to their heart. They are kids and they need us as good role models, protectors, teachers, and examples of the Lord God.
“Suffer the little children to come unto Me…” Let’s lead them.
Here is a great resource www.thesource4parents.com to help. Awesome!!!