I didn't exactly make it on the Parent of the Week board at Andy's school this week.
Granted, I'm new at this public school thing...as a parent, anyway. And I REALLY want to do it all right. I want to be the room mom that all the kids love. I want to be the mom that the teachers love to see coming down the hall. I want to give Andy every possible advantage by establishing good relationships with the school staff so that he'll always get their smiles and benefit of the doubt.
But...it's not working out that way lately. Let me just give you a few examples of things that are making me cringe a bit tonight:
* A teacher yelled at Andy for standing outside the girls' bathroom...because I had to take his little brother in there. She was NOT happy that I, an adult, and he, a boy, were in there.
* I sent a "special" cupcake with sprinkles on it for a little girl in Andy's class. It was his birthday, and he wasn't able to invite her to his party, so this was a little way to honor her friendship. According to Andy, his teachers determined that this was quite unfair to the other kids. They let her take it home, but I'm feeling sheepish.
* Andy couldn't check out a new book at the library today because the one he tried to return had enough water damage that we've got to pay to replace it. How did it happen? I don't know. How did I not notice? Same answer.
* While "helping" in Andy's classroom this week, I encountered a kid that would NOT focus on his work. He spent an hour trying to glue his fingers together, cut pencils with scissors, argue with his table mates....you get the idea. What did I do to help him? "Get to work, Jason!" "Jason, you're going to miss self selection!" "Jason! Everyone's done but you!" "Come on, Jason, finish up!" The other mom that was there to help walked by as I was "motivating" young Jason, and I gave her a "this kid is hopeless" shrug and shake of the head. She walked right up to him, challenged him to a cut-n-paste race, and he was done in 3 minutes.
Yeeeaahhhh.....my picture is certainly not hanging up anywhere in the school halls! However, this is:
Everyone in Andy's class was asked to define love. Their answers are all posted in the hall outside their classroom. Andy, without hesitation, answered that Jesus Himself IS love, and that He makes us love others when He lives inside us.
He may not get the advantage of having the favorite room mom.
He not get the benefit of the doubt all the time.
He may not be treated at school the way I'd hope he would.
He may get punished for things outside of his control.
But he'll be alright, because he GETS the important thing: Jesus- King of the universe, Son of the Most High, Savior of the world,
Loves him.
Treasures him.
Lives in him.
Transforms him.
Empowers him.
Fills him.
Never leaves him.
These are the things that matter. These are the things that allow a person to interpret a tough day, a wrong impression, an unfair judgement, a disappointment, as opportunities to grow closer to the God who's done everything to be close to us.
Andy's "love bug" proclaims truth and hope in the halls of a place whose visitors are desperate for both. My reputation, my cupcakes, my involvement will speak nothing of the love and glory of God unless my focus is on things above- where the One Great Love is seated. This is my prayer now. Join me in it?
Father, "Set (my) mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For (I) have died, and (my) life is hidden with Christ in God. (Thank You that) when Christ who is my life appears, then (I) also will appear with him in glory" - Colossians 3:2-4 