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Over half a billion children are considered to be a risk
in the world. We hear about these children in the
news all the time. They include: child soldiers, AIDS
orphans, human trafficking, the homeless, those with no
food or access to education, and children who have lost
parents due to natural disasters, famine, or war.
According to Unicef’s "The State of the World's Children
2005: "Childhood Under Threat”
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640 million children do not have adequate shelter
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500 million children have no access to sanitation
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400 million children do not have access to safe
water
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300 million children lack access to information
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270 million children have no access to health care
services
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140 million children have never been to school
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90
million children are severely food-deprived
You
may be saying yes this is very sad and I can pray about
this but what else can I do? Educate yourself, share
with others, then pray and mobilize.
Try starting with your own backyard. Do you know how
many children in your city are facing these same risks
in the United States? It is very easy to focus on other
countries because it is hard to believe that any of
these things are happening right here in the North
America. Yet it does happen here in our cities.
For
example, the United States has the highest percentage
of at risk children; higher than any other
industrialized nation. According to a 2003 survey 12.24
million children in the United States alone are in
poverty and considered at risk. The 2003-2004 statistics
state that there are 200,000 children being trafficked
as sex slaves, that one in fifty children will be
homeless and 3.5 households will not have enough to eat.
When I read these statistics I felt absolutely
convicted, and now that I know this is happening in
my own backyard, just praying about it does not seem
acceptable. So now what will I do?
God
has revealed to me that there is a powerful army in the
Sunday school and Kid’s Prayer ministries at my church.
These kids are willing to use their time, energy,
talents, and money to bless others.
The current generation we are training is one of action.
They see a need and want to work to solve that need.
But they are young and don’t have certain resources such
as age, a vehicle, or even a place to voice their
opinion. By trying to help the at risk children in my
city I can provide an outlet for the kids at my church
to do the same. This can be done by working at a soup
kitchen, holding a clothing or food drive, passing out
Christmas gifts at a homeless shelter or children’s
home. I need to share my knowledge with the kids from my
church, praying and seeking the Holy Spirit’s direction.
We
can mobilize and make a difference in the world by
starting in our own cities. This happens to be exactly
what Jesus tells us to do in James 1:27 (MSG).
What will I do now to
help the children at risk in my sphere of influence?
What will you do? How will we enable our kids to reach
out to the children of risk in their lives? |
