Children. Yeah, they are known for spilling things and being a little clumsy at times but sometimes we overlook the many lessons of life we can learn from them. This week I had the opportunity to see firsthand the impact that children can have on people around them.
I was priviledged enough this week to tour the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Beforehand, I really did not know what to expect. Walking down the hallways, it was a sight that I will never forget.
Children were grinning from ear to ear. Many of the children were receiving chemotherapy or getting tests down with wires dangling from many parts of their body. You would have never known it. There were no tears but instead pure joy as the doctors were right by their side.
On the bottom floor of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, there is a place called The Voice where patients can come learn about radio and select a song they would like to hear throughout the hospital. The guest that day was a childhood cancer survivor from California.
Talking with the girl and her mother, I found out how incredibly hard it is for a patient to be going through cancer. There were so many days where the mother could only use the word agonizing to describe how hard it was to see her daugher go through this at such a young age.
From the struggle of chemotherapy to now graduating high school and moving on to Pepperdine University, she is giving hope to many children across the country.
Isn't it is amazing the example that children can give us when there are moments in our life that just seem unmanageable? They remind us that even in the toughest moments perseverance and joy are things we should always exhibit.
Ouch. This one hit me hard. Am I showing joy in every moment of my life? Am I persevering when things get a little tough?
This is a lesson we can all learn from children who have pushed through agonizing moments with a smile on their face.
James 1:2-4 says it wonderfully.
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
The next time you go through a hard time are you going to count it as joy?
It is amazing what we can learn through children.
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