Tonight I watched them file into the gym, one or two at a time. I walked above them on the walking track, looking down as they heaved basketballs up toward the net only to chase them across the floor when the shot fell short.

I watched these young girls, still young enough to be care-free in the way they raced each other from one basket to the next, not yet weighed down by things adults find necessary to stress over.

I observed them as they interacted: the older ones shooting quietly together while the younger ones shrieked and giggled across the gym. They can't be much older than fourth grade, but not younger than second.

I prayed for them.

One by one, as they walked through the heavy double doors, I bathed them in prayer.

I don't know that I like kids. I don't know how to interact with them. They demand a lot of energy.

But these girls, these beautiful young creatures of God...these are the ones my heart is heavy for.

I prayed for their purity.

These young hearts, so unscathed and innocent. But at that age where all of that is about to be ripped away, if it hasn't already been. I pray not, but the truth is that too many of these young ones have already been stripped of their purity. There are people in their lives who have robbed them of this precious gift at an early age.

And for that awful crime, these girls will pay the consequences for the rest of their lives.

For the others, they will soon face a decision. They will have to choose how much they are willing to give in order to have that boyfriend. Be accepted socially. Quench their burning desire to know they're lovable. Beautiful.

I prayed for these girls, innocent or not. Pure or robbed. My heart aches for them to know the Truth. To know that they are lovable and have already been bought at a price. I yearn for them to hold onto their purity so that one day they have every ounce of themselves to give to the one man they will marry.

They are so young. But already they stand on the edge.