Love is the answer

So today my kids were crazy, wild, impatient, fighting, talkative, not listening, and downright bad BUT still they pull at my heart strings. Ever day it seems like my students are trying to marry me off. Today I heard "Ms. Fike you need to find a man, get married, and have kids so they can come to this school." They practically begged me today to get a husband. In fact the kids started chanting it at the lunchroom table. Where do 6 year olds come up with these things? And not one boy is chanting at me to get married, it's the 9 girls in the class. I guess it goes to show how early girls get the idea that when they grow up they have to find a man, get married, and have kids.  But one girl said "you can't get a man because then you'll leave me like everyone else does" Talk about heart breaking. I know that her mom and dad aren't together and I can only assume she has had some experience with men "taking" her mom away from her. I told this little girl that I wasn't going anywhere, man or not! She got the biggest smile on her face, hugged me and said ok. It really got me thinking about how much some of these kids just need to be loved on and sometimes that is more important than learning to add or read. Some of these kids go home to families that love them and encourage them, but others go home to broken families. These kids never hear their parent(s) say I love you, never get hugs, and are talked down to all the time. These poor kids would thrive if they were just given some love and support. It is SO SO SO important to take the time to show these kids that you respect them(so then they will respect you), tell them and show them that you love them enough to disciple them,and tell them that you will always love them no matter what happens, and that you believe in them. These kids think they can't do things and it is my job to show them they can because I believe in them and want to see them succeed.I wish I could just hug them and tell them all about Jesus and how much he loves them and that they can do "all things through Christ" Unfortunately I can't do this in public schools, BUT I can show them through my example. I can be a light to these kids with my actions and kind words even if I can't tell them directly about Jesus.