Children are just tiny people. They have the same value as a grown up. Human beings are born with with this value. We are all uniquely gifted and have a unique purpose for our lives. It is the responsibility of adults within family and community structures to empower and equip children to utilize their unique gifts so that they can fulfill their purpose. Through this process society is enriched by their being.

I have always been a shy person and reluctant to share in any community setting. I felt alone a lot as a child and even into young adulthood. I avoided groups of any kind. Because I experienced acceptance as an adult, I was able to become a small group leader for an elementary group of student grades 4-5 in an extracurricular program. In one of my groups I noticed a girl who had a very soft quiet voice and who never raised her hand but would sometimes contribute if called upon. After a few weeks I was able to talk one-on-one with her and share how I was once very shy. I was able to speak encouraging words to her about the power her ideas had when she shared them in our group, the value of her thoughts as a unique individual, and also introduce the idea that she could be helping others as she shared. She opened up beautifully over the course of the next few weeks and enjoyed sharing and coming to our small group.