Every yell, every shout, is a piece peeled off the heart of a child. And what happens when these damaged parts of the heart try to heal? They harden. Yes, this is how our hearts become hard. So before yelling in front of a little one…before raising our voices or using sarcasm…let’s take a moment to picture their tender, innocent little hearts and ask ourselves: Do we really want to peel off a piece of that which God created? Do we really want to damage that heart, opening up a path of coldness to their spirit? For this is just one of the many ways people’s hearts become hardened.
I’ve seen many hardened hearts on this journey called the World Race, and many of those hearts began hardening at a young age. While in the Dominican Republic, I witnessed children — young children — taking hard falls while playing and not shedding a single tear. They would just jump right back up and limp away. At first I thought this was interesting. “Kids are tougher here than in America,” I noted.
But then I witnessed the reason WHY these kids are tougher. Many of the parents we’ve met on this journey are very kind and loving — the Dominguez family in Lajas, D.R. is a prime example. Their children are so loved, you can tell, and oh-so-polite and courteous. They love to give hugs and receive hugs…they are very affectionate and have been brought up in a loving household. But I saw other parents in that same neighborhood who were pretty rough with their kids, to the point of being openly abusive. But it’s so common in the D.R. that I don’t think anyone says anything. People turn a blind eye.
I honestly didn’t realize just how many people in this world need Jesus, how many people haven’t even HEARD of Jesus, and how much Jesus’s Light is needed in these places that I assumed were Christian. They’re not. There are a LOT of people in this world who REALLY need to know the love of Christ. I am so happy to be over here, so honored to be serving, and so I bring this story to you in hopes that you will share it with others who may need to hear it.
God be with you,
K
