It’s not that I don’t care about O.J. and his latest escapade. It’s just that other things are more important…like children for instance. Sometimes I think the world has gone absolutely mad.
Last week I read an article entitled “Helping Children Caught in a War Zone” in The State. Written by Tom Turnipseed, the author related a story of a little girl in Iraq who was innocently playing hopscotch with some family members and friends when U.S. jets fired missiles that killed her brother and cousin and took off both of her legs at the knee. She has a name, Salee Allawe. In Mr. Turnipseed’s world, Salee and Madeline (his granddaughter) are one because Jesus loves the little children. They’re all “precious in his sight.”
Then there’s the Florida prosecutor arrested for his involvement in a sex sting. A respected community member and father, he traveled to Michigan with plans to molest a five-year-old little girl after communicating with an undercover sheriff’s detective posing as the girl’s mother. When arrested, he was carrying presents for the child including a doll and earrings. How sick is that? Does it make me feel better knowing that he tried to hang himself in jail or that his staff is saddened by the arrest? No.
Until this semester, I viewed “shaken baby syndrome” as a textbook term describing babies shaken by a caregiver frustrated by relentless crying. One of my students has greatly raised my level of awareness by describing her child’s symptoms. This really happens all around us! These children have a high mortality rate, and those who survive often have symptoms ranging from subtle neurological disorders to seizures.
O.J. is small potatoes compared to the children. What must the Prince of Peace think when He beholds these little ones and the adults who are charged with safeguarding them?
mom's musings 
It’s so heartbreaking and I think a lot of people feel helplees to do more than pray and try to bring comfort to the ones we have contact with. Like you, I think the world has flip-flopped!
I never did get the story about the prosecutor, so you shed some light on that. What a horrific thing to consider, much less act on.
Was the world that much safer when we were kids? I don’t think it’s as some say, “We just didn’t hear about it as much.”
Matthew 24:12 tells us that iniquity will abound and affections for each other will diminsh. My mom and I were talking about an incident and I remarked that if this isn’t the end times, I feel sorry for the people who will be here!!
I have been so upset by the children they remove from homes that are “meth labs” These children more often than not have the drug in their little bodies. They are stripped of their clothes, washed down and not allowed to take anything. Not a special blanket, toy etc. Some churches have created emergency kits that inlcude clothing, snacks, coloring books, a stuffed animal etc. Children are at the mercy of the adults that care for them and often those adults are not fit to do so. It brings tears to my eyes and hurts my heart. P.S. OJ is old enough to know better!
I read about this last night. What are these parents thinking? The emergency kit sounds like a good idea. Future humanitaran project, you think?
Odale, here’s a prayer by Marianne Williamson that i’m copying right out of her book entitled Iluminated Prayers. You’d love this book.
Dear God, Please help the children
of this world.
They are hurt and hurting
and are crushed beneath the weight
of our insanity.
Please bless the children,
and awaken us
before it is too late.
Amen
Oh, Connie, it’s so terribly sad to see these situations and some of the people actually don’t have the scruples to realize the depths of their depravity. There were two grandparents arrested near here for manufacturing Meth in an apartment next door to their children & grands! (Arrests almost daily)As you said, old enough to know better! I really do think some of them convince themselves “no big deal”.
Thank you, again, marlajayne! You always look out for me and feed my spirit. “Crushed beneath the weight of our insanity”, indeed. Awaken us, Lord!
God Bless and Keep You, Ladies.