The Saddest Shelves

There are only two shelves in the children's department which hold books labeled FIC 362. It's amazing how much sadness and brokenness exist on these two shelves. Here we find books and stories which attempt to aid children process incredibly difficult realities. These two shelves attempt to offer assistance to the grieving, the ill, the abused, the disabled, the children of alcoholics, and children who have ill or disabled relatives. Some titles bring smiles (Shelly, The Hyperactive Turtle), while others bring me close to tears (Don't Hurt Me, Mama).

My time spent with the books of FIC 362 brought a familiar heaviness back into my heart. We have books like this for children because children are living in heartbreaking realities. As I left the library, I couldn't shake the sadness (the joys of being a feeler). Walking home in silence, I had a bit of an epiphany (or perhaps a re-epiphany).

I've been told that when forming a vision, it is vital to examine what causes your heart to break, what brings you to weep (Thank you, Dr. Peugh!). The heaviness in my heart and the tears that formed were not merely the curse of empathy, but also the re-ignition of a passion which God has planted and fostered in my heart. The brokenness and pain sometimes feels overwhelming. I don't know what I can do, or what I am to do. But I hope that one day I will be able to offer much more than a book to a hurting child. And that, my dear friends, is what the saddest shelves taught me.