Today we’re finishing up our week-long look at Chap Clark’s five new realities every kids wants you to know. As I listened to Chap talk about reality number five my heart ached for our children and teens. You see, our kids are trying to tell us that they are wounded, bruised, and hurt. Chap reminds us that when you add up all these factors, despair is the only rational choice left for many kids. In today’s world, nearly every child and adolescent has been hurt by the systemic abandonment of adults. It’s for this reason that Chap titled his eye-opening book on kids with this one word: hurt. Parents, youth workers, teachers, coaches, pastors, and anyone else who knows and works with kids – there’s a message here for us: We need to go out of our way to step into their world and lives. And while we’re there, we need to listen hard to their cares and concerns. Then, we need to bring the life-giving light of God’s Word to bear on the realities that exist. Let’s really love our kids!