Write His Answer

The Gift of Children

Eagerly we awaited
our first grandbaby’s birth.
We praised God
as we held her in our arms
less than an hour after she arrived.
So tiny, so helpless, so dependent –
and so immediately loved.

How difficult it must have been
for Joseph and Mary’s parents
to wait several years
to hold Jesus in their arms
and not to even know
if Joseph and Mary
and their grandchild were safe.

Today countless little ones
will never be held in the arms
of their grandparents.
Separated by the ravages of war,
they will struggle to survive
in refugee camps or on the streets
or as child slaves, prostitutes, or soldiers.

 How can we best celebrate Jesus’ birth?
By remembering how He held children
in His arms and blessed them.
By not forgetting the plight
of children in crisis around the world,
and by giving sacrificially
even as He gave Himself for us all.