I read recently that children are the best teachers. Having a teacher’s heart, I found that comment very interesting, knowing that there was a time in history when “children were to be seen and not heard.” In its original form, this 15th century English proverb was specifically targeted toward young women who were expected to keep quiet. A later understanding seemed to soften the harshness of this expectation: “children should not speak among adults unless they are addressed and should be quiet and well-behaved.” I suppose in certain circumstances nowadays it would be appropriate for children to be quiet, and certainly be well-behaved. However, in our current society of internet access, children have many opportunities to learn and should be free to express that knowledge, allbeit draped in innocence and purity. And we adults would do well to pay attention.
This remarkable insightfulness of children should be recognized for its worth. Their wisdom sometimes screams at us, but do we listen, do we learn? For example, children don’t carry baggage from one day to the next as we are inclined to do. A rift may occur between two children. Parents intervene with gusto only to find that twenty-four hours later the same children are best friends while the parents are ready to go to court! Children seem to have a built-in sieve that separates the extraneous from that precious commodity called friendship. Perhaps in their “innocence and purity” they have unknowingly taken to heart the well-grounded advice offered by Lucy Maud Montgomery: “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”
Fearlessly, children can step out of this real world and walk willingly—and with great anticipation—into a creative world that may simply involve crayons and construction paper. Or it could involve a vivid imagination, or tapping into a creative idea that has limitless opportunities, echoing Franklin Roosevelt’s sentiments that “happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”
I want you to meet Colby, an eleven-year old girl who was not afraid to step out of the real world with an idea that would reward her tenfold and have a far-reaching effect on the unsuspecting. She had faith in herself to believe in her idea… and it all started with bath bombs!
Why did you start making bath bombs?
“It all started when I got a D.I.Y bath bomb kit for my birthday. That night I was thinking about selling the bath bombs so the next morning I asked my mom if I could. She supported me so much, and I thank her and my family because they’ve been really supportive and I love them every second of my life.”
What happened next?
“Within two minutes after my mom mentioned on Facebook that I 
was selling bath bombs, my mom’s friends ordered some. I was so excited. After a lot of orders, someone my mom knew asked if I would be interested in selling my bath bombs at a Christmas market and I said yes, I would love to. Now that the market is over, I’m still selling them.”
What are you going to do with the money you have earned?
“Half of the money is going towards my first bank account and the other half of the money is going towards world 
hunger. The money goes through an app called ShareTheMeal and you can choose where you give the money to buy food.
I’m selling bath bombs because I want to help people in need and I want to give people food who need it. I don’t want people to die just because they didn’t get food!”
[Note: Colby sold enough bath bombs at the Market to feed one child a meal a day for 6 months!]
Unlike Colby who set out on a mission with purpose and zeal, we adults stay safely behind the wall of our comfort zone and rarely venture out beyond those boundaries to try something new. As we age, we have a tendency to become skeptical. We forget the thrill that comes with adventure and the satisfaction that comes with accepting a new challenge, unreservedly. Instead, we get bogged down with the concerns of the world and rather than face the possibility of failure, we quit. It takes a child like Colby, who has yet to be touched by the concerns of the world, to teach us once again what we are missing. She willingly responded to the challenge of making a meaningful contribution to her world and beyond.
There’s another aspect of being taught by a child I feel I must acknowledge. In the famous and beloved Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey’s guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, Angel 2nd Class is described by the senior angels as having “the I. Q. of a rabbit” but “the faith of child—simple.” This simple, fearless faith should be much desired by the adult community of which I am a part. We would do well to remember that God seeks a childlike submissiveness and meekness, a joyful childlike heart … and a childlike faith. We might enjoy the awe-inspiring greatness that having a child’s faith can produce.
Kudos to Colby, and to all the other children like her! Though inexperienced, they are capable of saying and doing wise, insightful, and mature things. They are great teachers for the adult community… if only we would listen!
“Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.“
Psalm 127:3 NIV
[NOTE: IF you are interested in supporting Colby and her endeavours, email me. I will take your info and pass it on to Colby.]
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