When Jesus saw what was happening.

When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.” Mark 10:14 NLT
 
            I have worked in children’s ministry for over ten years now.  I’m not sure that I felt “called” to this in the beginning. More like, maybe “roped” into it.  Working with children has honestly been the honor and joy of my Christian walk.  I have learned so much watching the children receive with child-like faith the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have watched them absorb the word, sing songs of praise and dance without reservation. What a joy it has been to watch them worship God.
            About the time I stepped into this call, many were leaving. There were plenty of openings.  “The kids nowadays are too hard.” Too hard. A challenge.  Didn’t have any upbringing.  I heard a lot of explanations about these kids.  We hear the same from teachers in the school system.  I can only speak about my experience in West Virginia.  I formerly worked in the court system, so I had some knowledge “on paper”. But I truly didn’t understand what these kids had been through until I looked them in the eye.  There is a true call on the church right now to step up and meet the needs of children and families, not only in a material way, but also and maybe most importantly, in a way that points them to Jesus, the restorer of all lost things.
            A West Virginia University Health Sciences study found that between 2020 and 2022, nearly one in eight infants born had in utero exposure to opioids, stimulants and/or cannabis. One in eight.  These children come out of the womb dependent on a substance.  These babies suffer with withdrawal symptoms in their very first days out of the womb. This is their start, their beginning.  Later, these children often struggle with deficits in speech, learning, memory and general intelligence. They may be impulsive, have difficulty reasoning, ADHD, struggle with anxiety and depression, forming relationships and have a higher risk of substance abuse themselves.  These children need us, and we should have God’s heart for them, right here and right now. I understand people’s passion about abortion, I do.  But where is the passion about these babies?

            “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” Jeremiah 1:5- It is hard to comprehend how this could happen in the most protected place a baby could be, the womb.  God formed this child. God has a plan for this life, this little miracle.  But for every assignment, the enemy has an attack, and what better place to start than at the beginning. The enemy is no stranger to beginnings. The very first time we read about his tactics is in the garden, our beginning. Sin enters the world through Eve, and our world is never again the same. We will struggle.  Eve will experience pain in childbirth.  The curse is instituted.  So, it’s really no shock that the enemy would attack at the beginning, at the very beginning of life. Many can’t understand how a mother could continue to use drugs during her pregnancy. And many just don’t understand addiction and what a grip it gets on people. The saddest thing I ever heard was of a mother who had lost two children to child protective services due to drug addiction. I heard her say when she became pregnant with her third child, she was determined to keep this baby.  She was in a domestic violence situation; both were addicted to drugs.  During her pregnancy, her partner abandoned her up a holler, without transportation, no food, no phone.  She told of how she became hungry and ate crab apples from a tree in the yard. Sadly, she couldn’t overcome her addiction during her pregnancy with no support system and she lost custody of that child as well.  I also heard a story of a woman who had also lost two children and tried her best to keep her third child.  She decided that she would not seek prenatal care, have her baby at home, not seek prenatal care, and keep it a secret.  The “home” was a camper without electricity and water that she shared with her boyfriend, who also supplied her with drugs.  When time came to give birth, she tried to deliver in the camper in a coal bucket, but she relented when the labor and delivery was long and called for help.  Sadly, she lost custody of this baby as well.  This is just a tragedy for everyone involved.

            I have had many children in my tenure who have had this beginning and children who lived through their parents’ addiction.  I once had a group, and I loved this group probably more than any other I have ever had. To say they were difficult would probably be gracious. They are grown now.  I got to see one of the young men a few weeks ago.  He joined our church on a fishing trip with the youth.  He is a precious young man, and he has a heart for God, like he always had. These children are the first to request prayer for their families.  I had a little girl tell me once that her “dad” chose drugs over her.  I told her she had a “dad” in heaven that chooses her above everything.  She cried and hugged me and said “thanks, Alice”. 

            My prayer is that the “church” gets passionate about the children that are here and broken and need us! They need to hear that they have a Father in heaven that chooses them above everything.  I tend to think of these kids as “captives” of this war that is raging right before us.  They are truly innocent.  I believe God will restore all things to these children, and I believe this generation will know God because of what they have been through.  Scripture confirms this. John 10:10 says “A thief has only one thing in mind-he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than expect-life in its fullness until you overflow!” (Passion Translation) “But the captive of the warrior will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved.  For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children.” Isaiah 49:25 (NLT)

             Jesus, the harvest is great, but the workers are few. Jesus, send more workers into your fields. I ask in your name, Amen.

​Alice Bennett