The Least of These

As parents, we have those moments when we are overwhelmed with emotion.  Sometimes it is a good thing. Sometimes it isn't.  We are beaming with pride when our child does something well.  We are fuming with anger when our child makes a poor choice.  I can remember thinking...and even saying..."my child would NEVER do that".  I can also remember how those words tasted when I swallowed them later in their lives.  Ugh.  Parenting is so difficult at times.  None of us ever want to see our children fail.  We hate seeing them hurt or even uncomfortable.  BUT...when Coach and I were first married, someone gave us some very good parenting advice.  They said...

"You will always love your children, but you have to raise them so that others will love them."

Meaning...you have to teach them right from wrong.  You have to let them fall sometimes.  You have to teach them responsibility and respect.  You have to teach them compassion and kindness.  You have to teach them determination and humility.  And then...you have to let them walk and see what they've learned.

I was a child that NEVER learned the first time.  And most of my life I have spent contemplating what happened in my fall and what I could do differently.  I can only hope that my children are better listeners than I was as a child.  (I know right now my parents are reading this and shaking their heads in agreement.)

Where is she going with this...?  Hang on.  I'll get there.

Back to the "as parents, we have those moments when we are overwhelmed with emotion" comment.  This weekend...I was overwhelmed.  Now this will sound like I'm bragging.  And I'm not (completely).  Big and Middle went with their Dad to shovel their grandparent's driveways last week.  In doing so, Big wandered across the street and started shoveling a neighbor's drive.  When they got home, Middle wandered across our street and started shoveling a neighbor's drive.  Over the course of the Blizzard of Oz...they had shoveled several driveways and had been compensated for a few.  They worked hard and I was proud of both of them.  Yesterday as I was beginning my day at school, a teacher friend who happens to be the neighbor who Big helped during the shoveling came in with a card for him.  When I brought it home and gave it to him, he opened the card and out fell a Pizza Hut gift card.  Today, when we got home from the basketball game, the doorbell rang and Middle answered.  It was our neighbor across the street with a 12 pack of Coke and some popcorn for him.  She said she couldn't have done the driveway by herself and she was thankful that he came over.

This is one of those moments for me.  Both boys did something to help someone else.  Both boys were recognized for doing this and it made me proud.

But that isn't it...

In the card from my mom's neighbor was a note that said this...

"Thanks for the help clearing our driveway."

Followed by this...

Matthew 25:40

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

When Big read the card to me...Middle was standing there.  I listened and then I did what any normal Mother would do.  I started bawling.  Big said..."Mom!"  He was half concerned and half annoyed.  

This is the moment I've been leading up to.  

The boys had an opportunity to do something nice for someone else.  Yay!
The boys were rewarded for their kindness.  Double Yay!

THEN...
The boys were touched by the word of God and were able to apply it to what they had done.  If that isn't a teachable moment...I don't know what is.  And there aren't enough Yays in the world for that.  

Richard and Paula Canfield,
Thank you for teaching my boys the love of Jesus.  

As parents...we can only hope that we do our best when raising our children.  It is moments like this when we suddenly realize that as important as we are in helping them learn the lessons in life...God has strategically placed people and these moments in their lives...and in ours.  

When they say "it takes a village to raise children"...they are right.  And I am so thankful for our village.

I am blessed.  

Have a great day!
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