We still receive the newsletter from the White Plains Presbyterian Church (another WPPC). We were members there for 12 years. This is a portion of an article by Mary B. Davidson which I thought appropriate for us as we minister to those among us who are ill or hospitalized.

How Do We Listen?

By Mary B. Davidson

Last week I visited a friend in the hospital and learned a very interesting lesson. My friend seemed very pleased to see me and I thought she would want to chat. I was prepared to listen deeply to all that might be on her mind: her fears, her physical concerns, her best hopes for a full recovery and whatever else. We exchanged warm greetings and together fell silent. Minutes went by, and hour passed and then she said, “Thank you so much for listening to all my worries, you always seem to care so much.

I deeply pondered this experience as I walked down the hospital corridor: “listen” … How could I listen when she said nothing? And then the lesson came to me loud and clear: listening is not always about the exchange of words. Rather it is about the exchange of spirit, about being present in a deep and soul-full manner. It is about silent prayer shared in deep and caring ways.

I hope this is meaningful for you as you minister your friends.

water.

Kids have the right to good food.

Kids have the right to have a safe and comfortable home.

Kids have the right to be able to get health care.

Kids have the right to be kids.

Kids have the right to have time.

Kids have the right to play.

Kids have the right to go to school.

Kids have the right to be safe.

Kids have the right to love and care.

Kids have the right to be safe from being hurt.

Kids have the right to be safe from work that might hurt them.

Kids have the right not to be held back by a disabling condition.

Kids have the right to be safe from war and fighting.

Kids have the right to be heard.

Kids have the right to have a name and a nationality.

Kids have the right to be able to express themselves.

Kids have the right to live a good life.

“The right to live a good life.”  Now that’s an idea we can all get behind.

Go to Kids 4 Kids Web site (http://www.presbykids4kids.org/) and see how you and your kids can make a difference.

Based on our own daily reality, we may take many things regarding children for granted. In the comfortable world that most of us inhabit, children are fed nourishing food, are dressed warmly in winter, are loved and protected. If asked, we would say without hesitation that every child has the right to live with basic human dignity in a safe and nurturing environment.

So where do we stand when confronted with the reality of children who are the daily victims of scarcity, abuse, neglect, environmental disaster, and human greed? It is difficult to imagine, much less confront, such issues.

The new Kids 4 Kids Web site, launched this year by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), offers us a place to start. It puts valuable information and tools right into the hands of those who have the intellect and energy to make a difference—our kids. Who can better grasp them than the amazing and brilliant people currently sporting those pint-sized bodies?

Kids 4 Kids is filled with meaningful stories, interactive games, and practical tools to address the complex issues that kids face today.

Kids 4 Kids is based on these principles of survival, development, protection, and participation:

Kids have the right to grow up healthy.

Kids have the right to clean

Kids 4 Kids

From The Mission Committee

Listening

By Nancy Stevens

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