Working And Playing In The Kingdom: Leaves, And Space, And Territory

My wife Jody related an interaction to me that the children had a while ago. They were playing in and raking the leaves in the front yard. We have a tree in the front yard that has a huge amount of leaves on it each year. It dominates our front yard. It is so big and beautiful in all seasons, especially autumn. There is an abundance of leaves on the tree and plenty of space to play when the leaves fall on the ground. She described to me that the children were outside playing, "working", and ultimately fighting about whose leaves were whose and what space in the yard was theirs to rake, play, and work in.

Immediately after Jody related this scene to me I thought, "How silly of them to fight about leaves and space, and territory. There are plenty of leaves. There is plenty of space to play. There is plenty of 'work' and play to be done and there are plenty of leaves." I thought to myself, "Why can't my children just see that there is plenty?"

Next, I thought about how often I have done the same thing that the children did with the leaves. I think about how easy it is to fight about which things are "mine" and "yours" even though there may be an abundance of things like "leaves" to play and work with.

Translating this to the work on behalf of children and orphans, I want to do the exact opposite of what I heard my children doing. I do not want to "fight about the leaves, or the space, or whose territory is whose, or whose resources are whose." I want to work and play in the Kingdom God has made us to work and play in. God owns enough space, territory, and resources. Gods word says in Psalm 50 that, "every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine." Wow, God owns it all! He has no need for us to fight over His resources. There is plenty!

We should operate with this forefront in our minds when working on behalf of children and orphans. We should speak with anyone who will listen about the needs of children and orphans. We should want to work with anyone who is working with and on behalf of children and orphans. We should be grateful for the resources, people and everything we have been given to do the work we are supposed to do on behalf of children and orphans.

Are there are guidelines and principles that we should follow and work with people and organizations that follow closely to the same guidelines? We should not let subtle differences or non-essentials get in the way of serving children and orphans. We cannot let it be so to get in the way! To that end, my prayer and hope is that we will be willing to "work and play" together for the benefit of children and orphans. Our agendas and personal desires should be set aside if they interfere with the desired outcomes, to give dignity, life, love and hope to all children and orphans, by providing each with food, water, clothing, medical care, safe shelter, education, family, and an opportunity to know Him who created and owns it all. These are principles that we should live by in all that we do. May it be so with all of us! May it be so this day and always! There is much to do to demonstrate His great Love for us and especially the most vulnerable, children and orphans! Let's get to it!