Lament

It's good to watch children play.
It seems to me that children need to play, and that grownups should play, too.
Sometimes the weight of the world is too heavy. At school I encounter so many kids who have to be adults and parents who act like children. Students who have already decided that they can't trust adults. Mums and dads who give their kids a bed, food, and clothes to wear, but no hugs, conversations, or encouragement. There's so much sadness and brokenness. And even though I care, even though I'm a "professional", I can do nothing.
One of my colleagues told me a remarkable story. She grew up in a disfunctional family, destined for whatever comes after rebellion, conflict, and all the other junk. But somehow, as a young adult, she encountered God's love and turned her life around. She told me very firmly not to give up hoping and praying for those lost children, because she was once one of them and she had teachers praying for her. I needed to hear that.
I ache for some of our dear students. I need to remember the hope.