Red, Yellow, Black and White; They are Precious in His Sight

"Jesus loves the little children, all the little children of the world. Red, yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world."

The Seventh Day Adventist 11 am service was just beginning, and these were the words spilling out their open doors onto the beach. I have now been singing it for an hour as I stroll the white sand and take in the sun that has been missing all week on the island.

Earlier this morning, I had to grab a taxi to help haul my laundry into town.  I enjoy my time with the local taxi drivers. Each ride provides a story. Historical Belizean facts, political tirades, and radio sing-a-longs have been at the most informative and at the least entertaining. However, it doesn't seem to matter if I am going 5 or 15 minutes, I always get their story. Many times, their wives are riding along, but rarely do they offer extra commentary.

In the last 24 hours. I have had to take a taxi 3 times. I learned the history of the student $1 cab fair. The taxi drivers are all committed to picking students up who are walking far north and south of San Pedro town to their perspective schools and cannot ask for any more than $1 (.50 us). I won't offer all the details, but this particular driver was very proud of his involvement in making this service a reality for "all the little children of world."

Driver Horatio and his wife were quite curious about me. It seems they have seen me numerous times with a variety of children "red, yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight." When I asked them if they had children, Horatio responded, "No, but we would love one. Do want to give us one of your's?"  He was teasing, but the sadness in his voice real. He then reached over and touched his wife's hand. This couple was beyond its years in the hope for children. The fact that some have more than they can care for and other's ask for so little is an universal unfairness. I assured him that the children that they see with me are claimed and loved locally, but that my 23 year old son in the States was up for grabs. They smiled politely at this old joke.

Dionicio is a taxi driver who has been working on the island for 14  years. He has three children (the oldest is a freshman in high school) who all live on the mainland with his mother. He told me that they had spent their Christmas vacation on Ambergris Caye, and it was difficult to send them back. However, it is too expensive to live and go to school here. Then, with a little chuckle added, "I need to find them a new mom, before I could move them here."

I asked where their mother was. She left years ago and has a new life in the north corner of the country. We drove about a minute before the feminist in me went out the van window. I confessed, "I don't know - as a mother - how I could just leave 3 of my children to begin a whole new life." Dionisio just said, "I don't ever say anything bad about her. It is difficult enough for them to not have her in their lives. I does no good if I say vexed things about her." He went on to say, that as parents we have the responsibility to look at all the good so to teach our children to do the same. Also, we must do whatever possible to provide God, love and security in their lives. "Jesus loves the little children of the world."