From punched to hugged

Last year I had an experience with a little girl where I volunteer.  This elementary school girl was having problems with some other girls and was about to fight.  So in my wisdom I tried to prevent the fight.  Instead of this young girl hitting another young girl, she hit me.  It wasn't a caught in the cross fire event, it was intentional because I was telling and preventing her from doing something she should not have been doing and she didn't like that. 

Honestly, her hitting me didn't hurt, but it did bring up some negative feelings though.  I had to as the adult step away from the situation and allow other adults to deal with it.  I also had to forgive the little girl in my heart and let it go.  Over the next few weeks I did see the girl and treated her in love with a smile and hello every time I saw her.  Then I took time off from volunteering where I was for totally unrelated reasons.  Now over a year later I saw this girl again where I volunteer.  I saw how much she had grown physically but truly it was the inner transformation that is blowing my mind.  Of course she still has issues like everyone else, but I believe God has worked in her life and on her heart.  She has softened over the year and its clear.  So last week I was standing around talking to another volunteer and this young girl came up to talk her.  Then she gave her a hug and turned to me and without being prompted by anyone else she gave me a hug.  Now I don't know if she remembers the incident.  I can't imagine that she wouldn't considering her age.  That doesn't matter.  What matters is there is forgiveness for her and the Lord has been doing great things in her life. 

I went from being punched to being hugged in a year.  I am thankful.

What are we saying to our girls?

So I often hear people talking about little girls and how chubby or fat they are.  Um will you stop that please? Actually its not a question its a command.  Those negative comments stick and often stay stuck for years or life times.  They may be said in a joke or maybe mean or a matter of fact but they stick.  There are concerns especially in recent years for young people who are too big for their health and these things do need to be addressed of course.  When a kid is not stick skinny it doesn't mean they are fat or need to be called fat. 

Working with children it is sometimes hard to see if there is an impact outside of the few hours we're around.  I believe kids bring school, after school, mentors, and ministries home with them.  Even when we think they aren't listening or understanding what we are saying, they take it in.  Sometimes they hold it in, and sometimes they let it out in other places.  We have opportunity and responsibility to the youth whether they are our own or we get with them once a week or less, to show them the way and affirm the positives.  They are like sponges and will pick up whatever is on the counter.  There's enough polluting attributes, we can be the soap.

Next time affirm her beauty whether its another physical attribute like her smile or her hair, but affirm her inner beauty too.  When a girl grows up knowing her value she may not fall into other things that depreciate her worth.  Of course her the value of her soul is most important and when we translate that  begins to breakdown the negatives.  I hope we understand that we should be careful of how and what we say to children and adults on other subjects too.  You're stupid, dumb, ugly, fat, chubby, bad and a host of other negative words are words to consider not using when talking to or about others.  Just saying!  Think before you speak.