If you lived in a home with no air, no heat and no food – you’d be angry too.

If you lived in a home with an absent parent and the one who is present calls you “dumb” “stupid” and a “mistake” – you’d be angry too.

If you lived in a home that looked “Normal” from the outside, but on the inside dark family secrets were kept – you’d be angry too.

If you lived in a home where cigarette burns matched the bruises on your cheeks and back – you’d be angry too.If the goldfish at school is a life-sustaining meal – you’d be angry too.

If you were bullied by kids at school and parents at home – you’d be angry too.

If your parents chose drugs over you – you’d be angry too.

As school starts, before you label the child who sleeps during class, who seems distant, who throws chairs and says mean things to others please remember: Hurt people – hurt people.

Please remember that we have a generation of children whose innocence was stolen way too soon – whose parents don’t love them and let them know as much – who have shattered little hearts and minds trying to make sense of it all.

Those children – THEY NEED YOU!

Teachers – they need YOU to see through the hurt and pain and look into their eyes and speak life into them. Praise them for the good things they accomplish or even just tell them they have a beautiful smile and you know they are destined to do great things.

Counselors and Educators – they need you to make the call when warranted, for their protection. They need you to NOT threaten them with “Children services will come take you away” to the point they are scared to open up and hide to not be noticed.

Parents – they need YOU to teach your children kindness and compassion. To raise little boys and girls who will sit with the loner, who will listen to their pain, who will share their p-nut butter sandwich.

Christian – they need YOU to pray for them daily. They need you to pray for the evil hands to be exposed. They need you to see their hurt, and get involved – to invite their mommies and daddies to church and tell them all about hope and healing in Jesus.

I attended a very powerful Child Sex Trafficking and Abuse event at the Hillsboro Orpheum the evening before I left for vacation. What I heard has stuck with me every day since. Blake Kibler brought me to tears, as he did many others, as she shared the importance of understanding these children and their struggles. The pinwheel represents a child hurt – a child who should be able to live happy and carefree. It’s time to rise up and do our part and use our voices to put an end to the abuse of our children.