Two days ago,  we were stunned when the Jury in the Casey Anthony trial found her “not guilty” of killing Caylee. I heard one juror say today that saying “not guilty” is not the same as saying “innocent” and some other things about “manner of death” and “reasonable doubt.”

I found the following thoughts in a post by Focus on the Family’s President Jim Daley and I thought I would share some of it here. Quotes from his post are in bold italics…

When you look into those eyes, what do you see? I see the sweetness of a little girl whose life has only just begun, who has hopes and dreams and wants but one thing: to be as loved as she is loving.

The jury has rendered their verdict, and as a society we must do likewise. Will we ignore the underlying concerns of this case – or rise up and work to address them?

Mr. Daley goes on to state that…One of any culture’s greatest treasures is the innocence of its children. We know it when we see it, and love it when we do: in the laughs and giggles, in the wide eyes and wonderment, in the carefree hugs and gentle kisses of our children after a long, hard day.

However, he explains that the childhood innocence is more than just the joy it brings to us, but it is fundamental to their faith…

He asks:  What comes of a society that will not tirelessly protect its children and their interests? What comes of a culture that does not value its children, considering them to be more burden than blessing?

I would assert that our society does treat children as more of a burden than a blessing.  Especially in this country,many people believe that they have the “right” to have children, but do not want their lives altered or inconvenienced in any way.

My daughter and son-in-law are in the process of adopting their second baby girl.  They are doing it through the foster care system and were relating to me the other day that currently there are more newborns waiting for homes than there are potential adoptive parents.  The reason for this, apparently, is that more couples have decided they want to adopt school-aged children because they are “less trouble” and can be left in school/day care all day while their parents go on living their lives.

If a child learns early on not to trust an adult, it often becomes increasingly difficult for them to trust God with their life later on. Simply put, there is frequently a strong correlation between the early loss of innocence and later rebelliousness with God.

The lesson we need to learn from this tragedy is that we all have a resonsibility to protect children and preserve their innocence.

One of the saddest things in the world is a child that is not wanted or loved by anyone.  These are the ones that fall through the cracks, spending their entire lives wondering why no one cares.

No matter who you are or where you live, you’re called to positively influence children and help them understand who God is and that He loves them exactly as they are. “Whoever welcomes [a child] in my name welcomes me,” said Jesus.

Children deserve their innocence.  Soon enough the cares and darkness of the world will intrude into their hearts and minds.

Let’s do everything we can to let them enjoy childhood.  Let’s make sure that the children with whom we are in contact are loved and sheltered from the harsh realities of abuse and neglect. Let’s treasure the children God has given us and look for ways to reach out to other children who may not have been blessed with a loving family.

Let’s treasure each child’s joy and delight in the world and live out a demonstration of God’s love.

Do it in Caylee’s memory.