Pretty much once a week, barring unforeseen circumstances, the Webster Parish Journal publishes another installment of the feature series “For the Kids,” which is a Wednesday profile of a person or group of people who go above what’s called for to benefit local children and their families. 

It’s a good series because it features rare glimpses of one key virtue that often times evaporates in the dry humid air of societal apathy.

Compassion. 

Every feature story in “For the Kids” focuses on a person or persons who freely give their precious time or limited money to build youth athletics, feed needy families, aid with after school programs, enrich young lives through study of the arts and/or the Word. 

These are people who ask for nothing in return. They don’t do what they do for recognition or pats on the back. They do what they do because they see a need and they know if they don’t step up likely no one will.

The idea came from a fellow educator who thought it would be nice if I wrote a feature story about Mrs. Rita Bates, who has been a longtime supporter of Lakeside High School baseball. I liked how the story turned out and saw potential to share some more good news. Good News is what we need. Even the Word is called the Good News, so I don’t know why we are obsessed with the bad. 

I like to think helping others, especially kids, is as close to God as we can come while on this rock. The act fulfills a key component of the Lord’s ministry. It fulfills a command. “Love thy neighbor.” He didn’t stutter. He didn’t make equivocations or give exemptions. He didn’t say love this fella but not that other guy. And He dang sure didn’t say he who has the most is the winner. The Lord wasn’t too big on greed despite his earthly children’s proclivity towards the green-eyed monster. 

The subjects of “For the Kids” are the best of us. The least greedy. The kindest. They don’t volunteer because it’s good for earthly business. They do what they do because it’s good for their Father’s business. And He’s only got one item on the agenda for us living on this little blue and green marble – be kind and take care of one another. A lot of other crud gets in the way of that. Namely the cruel and cowardly, the vain and the vicious. Sons and daughters of Cain. 

It takes a truly kind soul to cut through the fog of apathy and distraction of Man’s world. These people are the best of us, and it is an honor to highlight them every week in “For the Kids.”

(Josh Beavers is a writer and a teacher. He has been recognized five times by the Louisana Press Association for excellence in opinion writing. If you know of someone who should be featured in “For the Kids,” email him at joshwbeavers@gmail.com  )

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