My good friend and mentor, Wess Stafford, says that every child you encounter is a divine appointment. You can use that encounter to speak life into that child. And, in the heart of a child, one moment can last a lifetime.
Keeping that in mind, I think we must ask ourselves, “How can we show children that God is for them?” The answer is that WE must be for them. When Jesus was here on Earth, He was for people…He was with people…but most significantly, He LIKED people. So, it stands to reason, as Jesus’ followers, we must be for people, we must be with people and perhaps most importantly, we must LIKE people. In our divine appointments with children, I suggest we work toward the following:
1. Have fun with kids. Coach teams…play legos…have ice cream…catch a movie together…laugh together.
2. Be a friend. This is not meant to replace parenting. And, I believe as adults we can be in meaningful relationships with kids outside of our immediate family. As an adult, do you know a child well enough to ask about specific things happening in their life? So, instead of “How was school?” A friend would know to ask, “I know you weren’t loving your math class…is that getting any better?”
3. Spend time together. Time is our most valuable commodity. There is no short cut for spending time with children. How will you spend your time?