The Grace of a Child

Beloved of God,

The other day, my third grade daughter, Beanie, came home from school SO distraught. According to Bean, she had been playing "super heroes" with 2 other girls  when one of them left, angry about how they were playing.  This little girl immediately went to mutual friends and talked badly about my daughter and the third girl. These friends then went BACK to let them know exactly what had been said. This is the part of the story that my daughter started to cry. She was heartbroken that a friend would talk behind her back and was SO worried these mutual friends would stop liking her as a result of the other gal's words. (They didn't.)

After I brought her into my lap and wiped her tears I said, "Honey, I think it would be okay to let this little girl know that if she's upset with you she should talk to you directly and not behind your back. Let her know too that if she keeps doing it there's going to be a problem."  Yes, when it comes to my sobbing child, I can forget everything I've  learned in my faith.  Let me just tell you, as a confession and in repentance, saying "forgive" had not even occurred to me.  Not my best mommy moment.

In my lifetime I have acted out each person in this scenario. I have been...

...unwilling to compromise.
...someone who's gotten angry when things didn't go my way.
...someone who left before compromise could be achieved.
... a person who talked badly about someone who I believed had wronged me.
... someone who perpetuated conflict by sharing the gossip.
... SO indignant that someone talked about me behind my back.
... someone who worried what other people thought of me.
...a bystander who did nothing to help.

I wish I could tell you these aspects of me only occurred in my childhood but it wouldn't be true.  Even as a Christian, I am still working through some of these flaws in my character.  I'm much better than I was but the healing continues.

The next day, Beanie came home and I asked her how it went with the little girl who stopped playing super heroes.  She said, "Oh, I apologized. Everything's okay now."  I said, "Do you mean she apologized to you?"
"No, Mom, I apologized to HER."
I REALLY didn't understand. "Why did YOU apologize?"

"Mommy, I just figured that if she was so upset that she didn't want to play anymore then I must have done something too. That's why I apologized."

In my life, I can't remember showing that much grace or humbling myself in such a meaningful way.  My ego and anger hadn't allowed it. In those moments, after she explained her apology, I realized I had just seen the teachings of Jesus and the Bible lived out in my daughter.  It's in her bones, her Spirit and that didn't come from me.  There are many moments that I will live through and will promptly forget but this is one I will keep tucked in my heart forever.

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
                            1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)

2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
                            Matthew 18:2-4