Smile of a child

Smile of a child.

Today being Children’s day in Nigeria, I would like to write the full version of the post I shared on the 30th of April, 2020 on Facebook as promised then.

It’s not everything I do that I enjoy. But if it makes someone happy and fulfilled, then I draw my joy from being useful. At times, it’s better to place a beautiful sunset in the soul of another person than trying to make money off them. It’s like spraying perfume. You can’t spray it on someone and not get some of it on yourself.

Look at the labours of a mother. They may choose to go hungry so that their children can have food to eat. They sacrifice their pleasures and ambitions just so their kids could have a chance in life. They draw their pleasure from being useful. Everything doesn’t have to be pleasurable or for personal gain. Being of service is also good. Just make yourself useful to someone today, the joy you will get is indescribable.

The best work I have found is when you do what makes a child smile. A child’s smile so genuine and can’t be faked. It’s an indescribable experience to see. The squeal of delight from a happy child no orchestra can replicate. It’s a picture no master painter can create. It hangs in your soul beautifying it with the light of heaven forever.

Go and be of service to a child today and you would agree with me that this is solid truth.

Many may say, Oh if I had a huge stack of gold. I would do great good to homeless and helpless kids. Insincerity clothed in the garment of service. Selfishness attempting to mask its greedy nature. This only deceives with the unwise. Every man that truly wants to be of service can do it here and now. For good is not hidden in the future to come. You can be a blessing now. You can go to your house and fill your hands with silver, and give it to the poor. You can ransack your wardrobe now, bring out choice raiment and clothe the homeless now. Why wait for the unknown future when the seen now can make another glad. Only heartless, insensitive men hope to help others in future when now is the time.

How did we end up with street kids in Nigeria? If we are not a selfish and greedy society that does not practise what we preach. These children on the roads arẹ a testimony of the fact that we don’t care as people. Look at the number of boys loitering on our streets and in the traffic jams. If we get these boys off the streets and find good foster homes for them where the patience and the loving care of a mother and an attendant father are given to them. With time the hard crust of the street life will be broken off them and as the beautiful butterfly emerges from the cocoon, so shall gentlemen emerge out these “rough stones“. But no, when we see them in the traffic jams cleaning windshields just to eke out a living etc, what do we do? The rich would raise up their chins in uncaring pride. They get their wipers working at that instant they see these kids approaching. By looking away, they refuse to look at the eyes of the unloved wandering child. Spare them a copper or two. They are not asking you for the buffet at the Presidential hotel, Port Harcourt . Just a little something.

No. Instead, they prefer to zoom off and spend more than that for their over fat dogs and cats. The average man in his average limousine is the same. He wouldn’t also look into the eyes of these children. To him, their breaths stink. Of course, it does, because they have been unwashed for days. But they are human like you. You would stink the same if you had not been washed for days. Having no air conditioning in his limo, the average man looks the other way whilst his conscience is screaming and his soul is telling him… “give a copper or two”. Some even get angry and some pray. Yes, they pray so that the traffic warden woukd pass their car and save them from the pressure of the eyes of these innocent children or for the traffic lights to change to green, so that they could quickly get away from the scene since they can’t wind up their side windows. Some even scream at these kids. “How dare they put their dirty grubby hands on my car” .

There is a God that sees and knows all of us. I am no better. Who am I even to dare judge any man. But as a scribe, it’s my duty to remind all of us of our indiscretions hoping that some of us would repent and change our ways.

Think of the girl child too. A true mother feels pains in her bosom when she sees these girls at night hanging around dark groves being preyed upon by relentless wicked men. When shall we go beyond being pained to be involved? A roof over the girl child’s head, some Church sermons to smoothen the roughness she had picked on the streets, and motherly sermons that show her the way to be a woman of substance will do a lot of good. Factor in daily teaspoons of encouragement and shovels of love and many motherly hugs. Further, add instructions unto safety and industry with the security of a loving family then sit back and watch the same street girl child transform into a graceful and successful lady.

Alas, who will teach them industry, motherhood and fill them with the fear of the Lord? Who has a large heart filled with Christ’s love that will accommodate them and send them to school? This is why we are far from having a just and equitable society. Nobody really cares about anything, anybody anymore.

I must stop here. If I can get one person to lay aside his or her robe of greed and selfishness and do something good, anything helpful whether grand or little, then this blog post has achieved its aim on this children’s day.

“But I can’t find street kids around me” some may ask. Go to the motherless homes. There are kids there. You can adopt if you have the means. You can sponsor them at any school. You can pay for their uniforms and clothing. You can take food to them. Celebrate birthdays with them. You can buy toys for them too if you truly care.

Have you ever wondered what becomes of the children in the motherless babies home when they become of age and no one adopts them? If they get to marry, who stands for them as family. Who signs for them as father and mother to give the bride away. More questions pouring out of every pore of my being. Every man knows what the answer maybe if he or she chooses to think about it.

Okay, take something to your poor neighbour’s children. I am not talking of the children of those who already have more than enough.

Don’t send anything to me to help you with the good you now want to do. Find some child out there. You can find them in your neighbourhood for they are there if you look well. I will do mine too. Actually, I have been doing this both as a Preacher and as one who has an NGO called Angel hands. But we all need to do more.

Let’s touch a child today. In your doing good, stay safe because of the wrath of the pandemic going on now and apply wisdom as you give out. As there are wicked souls who use children to defraud others. Apply discretion in this. But surely do good to the exploited child if it is in the power of your hands to do.

I close with this.

What truly brings happy tears to my face. I mean, much water, plenty enough to drown my eyeballs in their hollowed sockets. Is to listen to two dozen 3 – 7year olds singing choruses in one accord. The sound of singing children rings the bells in heaven and touches the core of my soul. Would to God I could hear a hundred children singing in unison …………..

“Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee

How great Thou art, How great Thou art”.

SELAH

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Till next time.

©️@ovyay 2020.