I have always had a heart for kids. It's one of the reasons I am so excited that I will get to work with kids during my photography internship this summer. To me, being able to combine my favorite job (photography) with my favorite people (kids) makes for the best summer ever!
However, as I scrolled through my Facebook news feed today, I noticed several stories asking for prayer for kids and their families as the children were quickly losing their lives due to illness. My empathy side came out and it is hard for me to get those kids faces out of my head. It brings me almost to tears as I think about all of the things those children won't get to experience here on earth. My heart breaks as I picture what their families must feel like at a time like this. While I sometimes hate how much pain my heart feels from my empathy, I know that this allows me to be constantly reminded of those families so that I can pray for them.
It also has made me so thankful for the hope I have in Jesus Christ. Without Him, I believe I would become bitter. Bitter that such innocent little kids get their lives cut short. Bitter that their families have to deal with losing a child and a sibling. But with Christ, I know that he has taken that child into his loving arms and is taking care of him. I know that Christ will help the family pull through. I do not blame God, instead I choose to remember that this is a fallen world and life isn't perfect here. This is why it is so important to have that hope of eternal life in heaven. Only then will we see the beauty that God can bring from the ashes of our broken lives. And only then will we be able to allow him to heal our broken hearts.
And because we have that hope, God wants us to share that hope with those around us. Not by preaching to them or shoving Christianity down their throats. But when we see these families hurting and questioning everything in their lives, it is then that we can come beside them and be there for them in whatever they are needing. A shoulder to cry on, someone to listen, someone to help care for their family as they grieve. By showing God's love to those around us, they will in turn see the hope that we have in Jesus Christ and hopefully we can then lead them to the security we have in our eternity in heaven.
We may not know why things happen here on this fallen earth, but we know that we have a heavenly father who is watching over us and will be there with us each step of the way.
However, as I scrolled through my Facebook news feed today, I noticed several stories asking for prayer for kids and their families as the children were quickly losing their lives due to illness. My empathy side came out and it is hard for me to get those kids faces out of my head. It brings me almost to tears as I think about all of the things those children won't get to experience here on earth. My heart breaks as I picture what their families must feel like at a time like this. While I sometimes hate how much pain my heart feels from my empathy, I know that this allows me to be constantly reminded of those families so that I can pray for them.
It also has made me so thankful for the hope I have in Jesus Christ. Without Him, I believe I would become bitter. Bitter that such innocent little kids get their lives cut short. Bitter that their families have to deal with losing a child and a sibling. But with Christ, I know that he has taken that child into his loving arms and is taking care of him. I know that Christ will help the family pull through. I do not blame God, instead I choose to remember that this is a fallen world and life isn't perfect here. This is why it is so important to have that hope of eternal life in heaven. Only then will we see the beauty that God can bring from the ashes of our broken lives. And only then will we be able to allow him to heal our broken hearts.
And because we have that hope, God wants us to share that hope with those around us. Not by preaching to them or shoving Christianity down their throats. But when we see these families hurting and questioning everything in their lives, it is then that we can come beside them and be there for them in whatever they are needing. A shoulder to cry on, someone to listen, someone to help care for their family as they grieve. By showing God's love to those around us, they will in turn see the hope that we have in Jesus Christ and hopefully we can then lead them to the security we have in our eternity in heaven.
We may not know why things happen here on this fallen earth, but we know that we have a heavenly father who is watching over us and will be there with us each step of the way.
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