Yesterday we went to the park and the saddest thing happened. My little girl experienced her first time being called a name by a peer. I did not see it happen, but was told later that a little girl, not more than 4 years old, walked by Elizabeth and said, "Loser."
Initially, the mom in me wants to take that little girl by the arm and take her straight to time out. (Or more honestly smack her mouth.) How dare she call my sweet, wonderful, beautiful, gifted and loving child a loser? Who are her parents? Why are they not teaching her that calling names is an awful thing? (If I am honest I know that her parents very well could be good, loving people who just let her watch or see something she should not have and she learned it from that.)
But then the verse came to my mind where we are told how to deal with those who mistreat us and wound us. (Matthew 5:43-48) So last night before we went to bed Elizabeth and I prayed for the little girl who called her the name at the park. Elizabeth named her Alexa and we prayed for Alexa last night. We prayed that she would know God's love and experience him and that she could learn to be loving to other people.
I wish I always responded that way to my enemies. I wish I could say I felt no anger or malice towards Alexa. But I did. I really am thankful I did not hear her say that to my child. I very well could have smacked her and her mother in that moment. But I am thankful that I had the opportunity to teach Elizabeth how to respond and I hope that as a result she is drawn more close to the Lord.
I know the reality is that Elizabeth will have people who call her names. She will have enemies in her life. She will have people who are mean and mistreat her. I hope that she will follow Jesus even through those moments. One thing that I have learned over the past 13 years of following Christ is, when I do things the way the Bible says to do them, life just works a little more smoothly. It is not perfect or always great, but it does tend to work better when I am following the one who created life. I pray that my daughter and Alexa can follow the giver of life.
About Me
- Momma
- I am trying to learn how to do this thing called life, in community with others. I am blessed to be wife to an amazing man. Momma to two precious girls. And we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our third child. I fail daily. I am more a mess than I ever thought I was. But I realize that God is bigger and more gracious than I ever dreamed He could be. My hope is that He makes something beautiful out of this mess I call, my life.
2 comments:
Thanks so much for sharing this Jessica! I had a strange moment the other day as I looked ahead and thought of these very times when my child(ren) are hurt by their peers or treated unfairly, and the battles and hard times that come with growing up. My heart just started to feel heavy when I thought of how I will feel that pain along with him? It made me consider what battles we should fight for our children vs. which ones we let them learn from without our stepping in. I appreciate the way you took this as an opportunity to demonstrate God's grace to Elizabeth... instead of jumping in there and fighting the battle despite your instincts! ((hugs)) I always appreciate your posts and anecdotes... keep up the great work! xox
I deal with teenagers, and they are not nice to me, each other or Phyllis, and sometimes, I want to slap them. But Grace leads me Home. I try to remember that.
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