Nailed

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

Proverbs 12:18

Take a piece of wood & drive a nail down deep into it, then pull out the nail. Now you can pull that nail out pretty easy, but that hole that scar, can never be removed. Yea, you can fill it in with some wood putty, sand it down maybe even paint over it, but I promise you, that nail hole will always be there. Our words are the same, especially to a child. The way we talk to children whether they are ours or not will make a huge difference in their lives. It will make them or break them.
Jesus cared for children. When the disciples & others shooed them away, Jesus called them to come to him & rebuked (that's one of my word's from my "word for the day" calendar) the people who sent them away. Jesus knew the importance of caring for children & what our words & even a loving touch on the shoulder or pat on the back would do for them. I have always tried, to never let a child walk through the halls of our church without being spoken to. If it's a "hey bud" or a "what's up girl", I'm going to acknowledge that they are there & that I care that they are there, because I do. I do the same if I'm out somewhere & see them.
No matter how old you get, never forget the way it made you feel when someone older noticed you & cared.

Vern