The young girl is 5, maybe 6, years old. Her entire life is ahead of her.

The church elder is, generously speaking, at least 50. The years have taken some of the spring in his step and much of the hair on his head.

They had never met. But that didn’t matter when she sat in front of him during a recent Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls® shoe distribution in Guatemala. When she looked at him excitedly and smiled, the years faded from his face. He couldn’t help but smile.

It often takes just a few minutes to shine hope into a child’s life by placing a new pair of footwear on their feet. These two unlikely new friends giggled and talked for 30 minutes. They talked about her new shoes. They talked about the backpack she’d receive later. They talked about her friends. They talked about what she liked to do.

When it was time for the girl to go, she stood and gave the man a hug.

“Such a precious child,” the elder shared with me moments after the encounter. I doubt he’d admit it, but it appeared a tear welled up in his eye.

God has a special place in his heart for children. If we’re to be like him, we should too.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” –Matthew 19:14