Does your kid have a clip? Oh, I bet they do if they are in
any form of learning academy. For those of you who don’t understand, a clip is
the behavior chart and my little buddy has one and has used his clip multiple times already….and he’s been in school a few days.
Just a little back story…I’m one of ‘those’ moms. You know
the one who sits down to read with a very typical six year old BOY and he flips
a few words around and doesn’t want to read at all and I’m broken hearted. The
irony is I NEVER read for pleasure…other than the WORD and only to learn
something about how cool Jesus is and my spiritual journey….typically. I read the Cliff Notes in high
school…..so why would it be unusual to me that my kid isn’t really digging
reading to me? Hmmmmmm……..and yet……
I freak out and have
him tested for dyslexia. Help me…I beg
you.
And…he’s fine. I paid a small fortune to find out that he
reads more than age appropriately and he’s active. Awesome!!!
So, this is a glimpse into my summer and why this whole clip
moving thing got me into a such a tizzy.
In order to encourage my child to be less active and
LISTEN…..I offered the ultimate in reward to a six year old science and
arachnid obsessed little boy…... A
TARANTULA for his birthday.
Because…..a tarantula only has to be fed one time a week and that poor
thing might actually survive in our house only needing food one time per week.
Good odds for Faulkners. Oh me this is
it, he is going to be the most incredible listener ever after this first eight
weeks because he wants this worse than anything he’s ever wanted.
So, I rush back from my precious grandmother’s funeral to
pick him up from school the first day….beyond ready to receive his excitement
and fervor for a new year with the MARY POPPINS of a first grade teacher that he
has, Mrs. Perkins.
He gets in the car and sadly pronounces he got his clip
moved to WARNING. YOU DID
WHAT?????????????? There is no way that my kid’s clip got moved the
first day of school….no way, no way, no way. BUT…it did and I had to face it.
So I emailed Mary Poppins to explain to her that this was devastating and we
were ‘ON THIS’…..make no mistake. And I
went to my boy whose dreams of hairy spiders were dashed in a simple clip move
for the moment and he was devastated.
I had had an emotional day to put it mildly and this sent me
over the top…I cried…he cried….I went to my bed to cry as the weight of
parenting fell on me...the single mom widow of two children trudging through the
muck of a fallen world with no helper. And…I caved. I could not do this…I could
not ‘make’ my kid behave….I could not ‘make’ him listen and because he was
folding his paper and practicing his origami skill set during the instructions
(which is why he got his clip moved). I went into one of the darkest moments to
date as a parent. It’s ridiculous now….go
ahead and laugh (especially you teachers)…..but in the moment I had failed.
As I got it together and walked from the kitchen back to the
bathtub with the kids….HE …THE HE…THE HUSBAND TO THE WIDOW said this….’My grace
is sufficient for you sweet girl.’
And it is…..and I wept because I knew in that moment….grace
was radically bestowed on me when I didn’t deserve it and therefore I extend
that to my own….not without consequence….but with love and compassion as we sit
on the MERCY SEAT together. Jesus moved our clip back to orange when he DIED
….and that is where my clip stays when He sees me. Does He instruct and
encourage? Oh yes HE does.…..right back to who WE are IN HIM.
Davis….tomorrow is another day….another chance to show us all who you really are……and that is an amazing little boy who listens. Do
it buddy!!!! Your tarantula awaits.
I truly think I needed Davis’s clip to be moved for me to
feel grace and to know that HIS NAME IS JESUS.
