Through it all, Father, I am grateful…for You. Through all the ups and downs, the laughter and tears, You rejoice with us in our victories and hold us when life lays us low. All love to You the Father of our hearts.
Acts 13:6-12 (<<click here to read the passage)
When you look at others, what do you see? If you were a fly on the wall of my bus…well, if the kids saw you, they’d scream, “Bee!” and panic and I’d have a situation on my hands!
But seriously, if you saw the kids on my bus and they were who they are, what would you see? I’d tell you right up front that many are a handful…if not two handfuls! But would you see them as problems? As disciplinary issues? As failed results of parental mishandling? Would you write them off? Would you just turn and run?

In the mornings I usually end up close to the first-grade hallway entrance which is where most kids enter the building. One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of kids reach out to the current teacher on “bus” duty every day. Some gesture for high-fives, but many – no, most – of them wrap their arms around them and give them a big hug. They hug them back or pat them on the head, and they stroll off with a big ol’ smile on their face. And this happens over and over again.
This afternoon as one of my last drop-offs was getting ready to step into the stairwell to get off the bus, I said, “Have a good rest of your day, buddy” and he stopped, put his arm over my shoulder, and gave me a big hug. He happens to be a special needs child and I know his homelife…well let’s just say “dysfunctional” wouldn’t even begin to describe it.
I don’t know what you would see in these circumstances, but I see kids starving for love and acceptance. They, as we all do, crave it. At best many of them are ignored but many are neglected. Some are abused – verbally, emotionally, physically. It’s easy for them to respond to kind words and caring gestures eagerly.
In today’s passage, Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. He saw Bar-Jesus [Elymas] – the sorcerer – for the person he was. He held nothing back when he said in verse 10,

“You [Elymas] who are full of every [kind of] deceit, and every [kind of] fraud, you son of the devil, enemy of everything that is right and good, will you never stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord? AMP

This was a time for confrontation and Paul did what needed done. But I want to make it clear that there is also a time for compassion and understanding.
As outsiders looking in it is so easy to be judgmental, to lump every “problem” child – or adult for that matter – into the same stereotype. The bad thing is many times we know nothing of what brought them to be where they are and who they are.
My Life Application Study Bible spells it out.
There is a time to be nice and a time to confront. Ask God to show you the difference and to give you the courage to do what is right.
Lord Jesus, help us to listen to You for truly only You know the difference and can show us what needs to be done. Amen.

Apr 28th, 2022, Thurs, 8:11 pm