Too young to be head of household

As the afternoon light was fading, someone hollered over the fence, "I heard you might have work here." This is pretty common, but today was different: the request came from a

skinny school-age kid on a bike. "My dad left us, and my mom needs me to help bring in some money." Just 13, our neighbor kid was suddenly left with adult responsibility for his mother and two younger siblings.

Putting a minor to work is tricky territory, but we found a way to help -- with Mom's permission, he could come a few times a week to help with chores like feeding farm animals or mowing the grass, in exchange for groceries and a small wage.

It has been wonderful watching this dedicated little guy show up faithfully to work side-by-side with our farm overseer. After about a week, he brought his little brothers to give them a tour of where he works. His pride as he named off all the animals and his duties was heart-melting! No wonder God charges us to take care for widows and orphans -- both sides are blessed as we reach out to help ease our neighbors' burden!