In the Midst...

            I heard the mom’s tight voice just down the aisle from me in the store.  Speaking to her toddler, who was seated in a shopping cart being pushed by his grandmother, the mom said, “You better be nice in here, or you’ll be sorry!” 

            Whenever I’m out in a public place and hear a child on the receiving end of an adult’s anger, it makes me cringe.  If this is what goes on when they are out in public, what is life like in the privacy of their own home?  On this particular day, it was as if I could not escape the situation.  They were practically following me around the store.

            The cute little guy was giggling and having a great time with his grandma, who was doing a good job of entertaining him while the mom shopped.  His legs flipping back and forth, he jabbered and pointed, while grandma toured the store with him.  In his tiny hands he held a Kindle, which his mother had given him to “play” with.  A moment later, there was a clunk, followed by crying.

            The grandmother soothingly said, “That’s okay, honey.  It was an accident.”  The little boy whimpered, “I sorry.”  The mom’s voice rose as she reprimanded her son for dropping the Kindle, while the grandma came to his defense.  “He said he was sorry, honey.  If it slips out of his hands, what is he supposed to do?”

            “Mom!  I just got this back after having it repaired the first time!”  And then, turning to her sobbing son, she said, “Quit your crying or I’ll give you something to cry about!”

            Meanwhile, my brain evaluated several exit ramps.  Should I saunter over to the mom and say, perhaps in a smooth Laura Dean accent, “Love him when he’s little, ma’am; he’s gonna grow up before you know it.”  Or, should I go grab one of those cute tractor books I saw on the way in to the store and place it in the boy’s chunky hands, flash the mom a beautiful Lindsay Small smile and wink at the grandma?  I also considered using my own mother’s reaction to such a scene, which would be an audible tsk of the tongue, followed by a heavy sigh and departure.

            But unfortunately, I did nothing.  I stopped long enough to notice the worn, dirty coat the mom was wearing, the exasperation in her voice.  I noticed too the gentle hands of the grandma.  Who was I to think I knew exactly what was going on here?  More often than not, there is much more to a story.

            Instead I found myself saying a prayer for the little boy, the grandma, and the frustrated mother.  God was right here in the midst of all this drama.  Just as He has always been with me in my times of frustration, fatigue, and impatience as a mother.  I remember well those times when my children were the least lovable, because it was at those times that they needed my love the most. 

            All three of these people needed Jesus at that point.  And, quite frankly, so did I.  

- written by Debbie Reith

Romans 14:13 "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister."

I would like to add that Debbie did not "do nothing," as said above.  

She prayed.  May we remember the "I sorry" of the little boy and pray instead of passing judgement on others.  May we also learn to fully rest in the Lord.

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.