Do you remember singing this hymn, by the American Marie D Holley, in Sunday school?
Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see,
Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see.
There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,
Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see.
Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear,
Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear.
There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,
Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear.
Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say,
Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say.
There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,
Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say.
Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do,
Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do.
There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,
Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do.
Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go,
Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go.
There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love,
Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go.
I can remember even at an early age thinking it was a bit unfair to be expected to take responsibility for what I saw and heard, whereas what I said, did and went were much more within my control.
There is a lot of emphasis on what children witness in homes where domestic violence and abuse happens and in war torn countries where children see atrocities in front of their eyes. One wonders how these memories will play out in later life – will they turn against violence and become the peacemakers and pacifists of the future, or will they imitate the behaviour, holding grudges and seeking retribution?
As adults, how do we protect they next generation from the evil influences around them? How can we equip them and build in resilience without scaremongering or making light of bad things that happen?
There are no easy answers. One solution may work in one situation but not another. We can’t put the vulnerable in a bubble – a pocket of protection that means they never experience anything meaningful in case it goes wrong.
However, we have a God who loves the little ones and can be there when we can’t. Through prayer, we can place them in His care knowing that He knows best and can turn any circumstance to His glory.