Bullying is something that is taken very seriously today as it should be. To ensure Luke knew how to deal with things, Howard and I had a talk with him about how proud we were of him that he did not lash out back at the boys who hit him. We also reminded him that it was okay to stand up for himself, and to tell an adult if it doesn't stop. We then had a talk about loving your enemies. We dug out the Bible, Howard talked of Abraham Lincoln and the idea that to get rid of enemies you should make them your friend.
Which brings me to today. There was a book fair at Luke's school and it was the day he got to buy something. We have a TON of books since Howard and I are both teachers and we have great family and friends who have really taken care of our kids in this area...PLUS we visit our local library regularly. SO when he asked for money, of which we have VERY little, I was torn. After talking with Howard, we decided we would give Luke 10 dollars, with one stipulation. He was NOT allowed to spend it on himself, his family, or his best friends all of which we know have books a plenty.
I volunteer at his school on Wednesdays so while I was there today I asked if he had thought of how he would spend his money. He smiled and nodded. I asked if he wanted to share it with me...he did. He told me the names of the very two boys who had been mean to him on the bus. He beamed with pride as I hugged him and got teary. Today I am thanking God for that boy...he makes ME want to do better. He gets it.
11 comments:
of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Wow! What an amazing kid! You've obviously done something right Mommy! What a heart warming tale- thanks for sharing it with us :-)
God Bless,
A
thanks for sharing this. :-)
you've obviously been doing a great job raising your kids.
reminds me of a few weeks ago, when i got my hair cut for Locks of Love. my last haircut was december 2008, the week before my first brain surgery (i've had 2, getting ready for a third) so my hair was LONG! anyway, as i sat in the chair, i had to explain to the hair cutter that she would feel a bump & tubing under my skin on the left half of my head (i have a shunt, placed during the first surgery & replaced december 2009 when it stopped working). anyway, the people on either side of me heard what i was saying.
they also saw the lady getting my hair ready to be cut for donation. so they knew what was going on.
there have been a few occasions in my life when people say, "oh, what a wonderful thing you're doing!" or "you're such a great person." i have two responses to that.
first, IT IS CHRIST IN ME, not me on my own.
second, I WAS RAISED WELL.
i tell my Mom that all the time... when she says she's proud of me, my instant response is, "thank you for raising me to (make that choice, do xyz, etc.) and she always says i'm nuts.
anyway, as i was getting my hair cut, a lady came up to my Mom with tears in her eyes. this is the conversation they had, pretty much verbatim.
"is your daughter donating her hair?"
"yes she is! her head was half-shaved for her surgeries so she got a small taste of how a girl can feel with missing hair. when it grew back, she decided to let it keep growing until she couldn't stand it anymore, and today is that day."
"YOU OBVIOUSLY DID A WONDERFUL JOB RAISING HER." (emphasis mine, she wasn't screaming :-P)
my Mom was about to correct her, when the lady said,
"my mother died two weeks ago from cancer. i finally realized that who i am, the choices i make, are because of her."
"well we're very proud of her."
"she should be proud of you."
and i am. i tell my Mom this all the time! even as a teenager, i was NEVER the kid who was embarrassed to be seen with their mother. not because she never did anything embarrassing (although those times were extremely rare, thankfully!), but because i love her so much i didn't care & was PROUD to be seen with her. but it is only now that i've come to realize just how blessed i am to have been born to such a woman.
not perfect, but perfect for me.
i really think that, one day, your son will be able to think the same things about you.
awesome!! thankful that God is working in the heart of Luke and he'll be reaching others!! what a sweet boy!
You must be so proud of him, Kristy. He will grow up to be an amazing man with an attitude like that. (And, for the record, that story brought tears to my eyes!!)
That made me tear up. What a precious little boy you have~ and that comes with great parenting. God bless. :)
You and Howard are raising an amazing child...what a heart. This story should be posted everywhere so that hard hearted ADULTS can remember what it is like to give, forgive, and love.
What a sweet boy!
So beautiful! Don't you just love it when what you teach them comes flooding out of them at unexpected times. Way to go! May your mommy's heart be encouraged!
Luke you are an incredible little boy. With an incredible heart. Bless you for you decision.
Those two boys will remember this for the rest of their lives. who knows how it will change their hearts.
Wow. Precious boy! Thanks for sharing!
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