Have you ever stopped to notice...

"If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle."
- Vincent van Gogh

When I decided to go to school to become a teacher I knew exactly why I had made that decision. I love children, always have, and I knew that I wanted to try and make a difference in as many kid's lives as possible. When I started classes my teacher told each of us that we were now advocates (a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc.) for all children. She also told us that we might be the only "constant" a child has in life.

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."
- Emily Stone

The other day I watched as a young girl I knew changed her baby, and then placed her in a car seat without buckling her in and drove off. In that moment I realized that not only was it upsetting to me, it made me angry. Angry that she wouldn't care enough to protect that little life she was given, angry that she would even be allowed to be responsible for that child, and angry that so many responsible women would give anything to take care of that tiny baby but can't. Here lately I've really started wondering why God allows some people to have children when others can't. It seems completely unfair that a young girl who is reckless and can't handle her own responsibilities is entrusted with a life when a mature adult with everything in order is not blessed with the joy of having a tiny life beat inside of them.

I always wondered what it would be like to be a social worker. I've thought about all of the children you could help and the impact you would make on so many lives. But what about the ones that slip through? I think of the little girl in NC who recently died from MRSA. They said that DSS was "looking into" her case, but can you imagine being her case worker? I know I would have been devastated. I would worry about what more I could have done for that little girl, what I could have changed or done different to protect her.

I'm not saying that unplanned pregnancies are always a disaster. My niece was not a "planned" pregnancy, my sister was never one that really wanted children, but she has turned out to be an incredible mother and loves her little girl like crazy. She has raised a beautiful, sweet, incredibly smart little girl. There are rare occasions where young mothers turn into great mothers. But the majority of teenage mothers are too preoccupied with their "it's all about me" mentality to really pay attention to the child they created. I see so many children pushed off on their grandparents or their relatives because the young parents don't want to be "bothered" and want to do their own thing. This makes me wonder why God doesn't have a "standby" button. Why is it that He can't put these people on standby until they are mature enough to take on the responsibilities they are creating?

Now I'm not crazy, I know that is impossible. But just think about how many tiny hearts would hurt less, how many small lives would be saved. We will never be able to correct the stupidity and the careless, senseless actions of those around us, but hopefully we can be a "constant" and be able to impact the small lives who had no choice in the first place!

“Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them.”
- Richard L. Evans

It has been said that we have to live with the choices we make, but what about the people effected by our choices, they also have to live with our choice!