Attention Seekers

In the course of my training, I have come across some children who scream for attention. At times, they may even disrupt the classes. There are underlying reasons for such behaviour.

In March and April this year, I was conducting a Story Telling training at a school in Yio Chu Kang area. Little Jerald appeared. He was a bubbly nine year old boy. For the training, the children were to write a story on any subject of interest to them. I suggested some possible topics to them, one of them is ‘My Father’. He jumped up and exclaimed: “I have no father’. I was taken back and enquired further. I learned that his parents were divorced and his father was well alive. His mother might be the one who had custody of this little innocent boy. It finally became clear to me why he sought so much attention in class. On this note, I would to mention that this also happened to older students in some secondary schools that I had trained in the past.

As the training went on over the weeks, one day, Jerald, presented his story in front of the class. The title he chose was ‘My Father’. He spoke with such confidence and ease. He was so proud of his father. His love for his father was evident when he spoke so fondly of him. He even said that his father was his hero. Needless to say, little Jerald was so badly affected by the broken marriage. That day when he finished his story, all of us applauded loudly for him. It was such a heartwarming moment.

There are many Jeralds around us who are crying for help. Many who need love, care, and concern. Many who need someone to lead them by the land to help them to move on from where they are to another point in their life's journey. Christian leaders and workers who have an opportunity to reach out to minister to this group of people have a heavy and yet important task God placed upon them. May the Lord's continual blessing and anointing rest on them as they do the work of the ministry.