Children Are A Blessing

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven,” Matthew 18:10 (NIV).

Children are heirs of God’s kingdom. Jesus said that unless we become like little children—fully trusting our Father and depending on Him—we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. The trust of a child is resilient and many of our students are willing to give trust another try when they arrive at Holbrook Indian School (HIS). An offering that we recognize as sacred; one that we have a responsibility to care for and protect. 

In another part of scripture, Jesus admonished the disciples for trying to prevent the children from getting close to Him. “Let the little children come unto Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 19:14 (NKJV). Here at HIS, we welcome each child who arrives on our campus with open arms and hearts, especially because it means that we get to reconvene our efforts to show Jesus to our students beginning with the first week of school. With our minds set on Christ, we enjoy the many opportunities to share God’s love and laughter with our students during the ice breakers and team building activities that take place that first week of each academic year.

Psalm 127:3a says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,” (NKJV). Children are a precious blessing and gift from God. Regardless of how they come into our lives, we have a divine duty and right to lead, guide, respect, protect, love, cherish and delight in our youth. While our focus is to educate the whole person and to support many of our students in their healing journey, our hearts work from the posture of understanding that our students are heirs to the kingdom of God. As such, we work hard to teach them about their role as a child of God, and about their value in the eyes of their Creator.

Each new school year gives us the chance to share God’s love with the next set of students we receive. We delight in seeing the “aha!” moments dance across our students’ faces, as well as the peace that brightens their eyes when they come to realize how much God loves them. We are filled with gratitude to see the ways that God opens opportunities to share His love and true character with our students.

As we draw even closer to the close of Earth’s history, it is more important than ever that we invest in the future of our children and this next generation. They are the ones who will finish the work that the Lord began after Eden and the fall of our first parents. 

God delights in His children—young and old. We are the apple of His eye. His beloveds. His cherished ones. His chosen people. We are royalty. And it is such a privilege and blessing to share the truth of their true identity and heritage in Christ with the precious children who grace our campus. 

Identity in Christ was also the theme and focus of our first Week of Prayer for the year. Pastor Eliab Quiñones spent time sharing the power and love of our Creator, as well as who we are—our identity—in Christ. Pastor Quiñones is full of life and very dynamic in his presentations. His passion for spreading the good news of the gospel was evident in how he got excited about his topics while speaking. His love for children was also evident in his interactions with our students and getting the to engage and participate in his story demonstrations which set the foundation for his message.

We need young people like Pastor Quiõnes to show our students what life in Jesus can look like. God loves to utilize the gifts and talents of our youth, and we are grateful for opportunities that allow our students to see God working in the lives of people who are not much older than they are.

To God be the glory for His marvelous ways.