I recently saw a field full of shoes. Those shoes represented all the children who have died due to gun violence in recent years. Shoes that should be filled by growing kids furthering their education, experiencing their first day of college, their first job, their first love. But they are gone.
There is something about a visual, it makes us think, and it makes us pay attention to what our other senses may not want to acknowledge. Shoes, Kid's shoes...empty shoes.
KIDS TAKING A STAND
After the most recent High School shooting things changed a bit. The kids took on the cause for gun regulation on themselves. In the midst of their stand the words were repeated: "We don't need your thoughts prayers." It sounds harsh to those who pray, but their sentiment was right- thoughts and prayers do not change things. The bible clearly says that "Faith without works is dead." If we are willing to pray for something, we should also be willing to do something about it. Today children across the nation are taking action where their prayers are, they are walking out of their schools for 17 minutes in honor of the 17 lives lost. Though that action alone will not change any laws, keep your eyes on this group, they are aiming to make something change in their lifetime. Their walk out is simply a glimpse of a young generation taking on politics and change. I really believe these kids are going to make a difference that the adults have not been able to make so far. But we have to be careful, if children are empowered opposite the wisdom of the older generations, it can be a mess.
WHEN KIDS STAND ALONE
The bible says "He chose the young because they are strong," the end of the scripture says "and the word of God abides in them". We need to be sure our young people are empowered and empowered well. They need us.
2 Chronicles 10 we hear the story about Rehoboam the son of King Solomon. He was rightfully the king but he sought counsel from two different sources:
1) His father's advisers 2) His friends.
With the influence of his peers, the young King Rehoboam disregarded the advice of the older generation and followed his friend's advice; as a result the kingdom was divided into the southern kingdom and the northern kingdom. These kingdoms then fought against each other. There is a balance we need to have when empowering our children to make a change. We have to be able to talk to them and give them an understanding of the price of change, the work it takes and the consequences- good and bad that can come. This is hard to do with a group of kids with a cause, their strength wants to just get the job done, but as adults we owe it to them to help them as they stand.
WISDOM: STANDING WITH THEM
We should be proud of our kids for standing when others have not. These kids can make a huge difference in this world, but they still need us. They need our input, our guidance and our wisdom to help them make the great difference that needs to be made. But they will also need a standard higher than ours- they will need God's standard. That is harder to pass on if we ourselves have not kept it. But whether it is for gun control, life, college, or relationships, our kids need guidelines to help them make a difference. Expecting them to do life without guidance is foolish because they are kids, and at one time or another the child in them will show up again. Taking time to talk to our kids and understand that they think differently than we do, but their strength and drive can get the job done. I am encouraged that our young people are standing up for themselves when adults have not done it for them. Now we need to stand too, and do our part to ensure that they are not standing alone.
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