Yesterday both of my children walked in the door bawling…
and I’m not exaggerating here… bawling…
I rushed immediately to my oldest… I’ve been careful with him this year as 5th grade is already taking it’s toll…
I got his normal “I don’t want to talk about it…” in between huge sobs…
I go to the younger one and hear what’s wrong… in between her obviously fake tears she tells me that she’s upset because Matt’s upset. (She’s such the drama queen!)
I ask her why Matt’s upset and she tells me that he didn’t make the ballot for SCA president.
My heart sinks. He’s been trying to get in with the SCA for 3 years… last year, he at least made the ballot, but lost the election…
So, I rush back to his room and I finally get him to admit that he didn’t make the ballot.
I rub his back… I have nothing to say that could make this better.
And then he says, “Mom, it’s nothing but a popularity contest. They don’t care who’s going to do the best job.”
Welcome to the grown up world, Matthew. You’ve just realized something that it takes many years to figure out.
It was then that I asked God to give me the words to console him.
And do you know what He gave me?
American Idol.
I’m serious.
“Matthew, do you think the best person won on American Idol?”
“No” he replied.
“And when Clay and Ruben were in the competition, who do you think was the better of the two?”
“Clay” he said.
“And whose concerts have you been to and whose CDs do you own?”
Again he responded with Clay.
He was starting to get it but still very upset.
I left him to himself and later on, when explaining what happened to my voice of reason, Lisa, she tells “tell Matthew that when Jesus picked his disciples that he chose people that no one else would’ve — the unpopular, the ones who weren’t very educated, etc. He didn’t pick priests and people who were in the temples everyday — he picked fishermen”
Like an idiot, I told him that verbatim, just like it was in the IM window.
He responds with “Mom, I’m not uneducated or a fisherman. And we were electing the SCA president and not a disciple.”
He didn’t get it.
But the seeds were planted.
When he came home from his Dad’s he appeared to be in a better mood. I asked him why the sudden turn around and he said “We praise Him when we win and we praise Him when we lose. Today I lost. But He’s got my back.”
I stood there dumbfounded at the words that escaped his lips.
And then I smiled.
Perhaps I’m not doing as bad as I thought.
Until next time…
Heather
Ok, I didn’t know you were going to read it word-for-word as I typed it!
I would’ve made it a little more elegant, but I’m glad that he’s feeling better. I know he’ll be out there having fun this weekend and hopefully he’ll soon forget that life is too often a popularity contest. Just look at who your PTA president is 
Oh yeah, and do you know how utterly scary it is that you consider me your “voice of reason?”
Sometimes it just has to sink in a day or two (or more for some of us!) before we “get it”. Matthew got it. You’re doing a great job.
And you know how much I LOVE that movie.
Wow, what a great lesson was learned and with such grace. My 3rd child wasn’t so much of a drama queen, but when her older siblings (especially brother) was upset, she was too. She just has a huge heart for others.
It is in the tough times that we learn and grow the most. But it is tough to watch our kids go through it. But isn’t God amazing to give us His creative responses?
I told you not to tell Matthew that Jesus chose losers to be his disciples.
“We praise Him when we win and we praise Him when we lose. Today I lost. But He’s got my back.”
Out of the mouths of babes! I love that he said that!
~Jaime
http://www.ChaseNKids.com
Jaimes last blog post..Be Still
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