This was part of Ethan's bedtime prayer tonight. It was so poignant. He has such a sensitive spirit.
Today, he went next door to play with his friend, Rebecca. Cameron is her older brother. He's 9. Often, the 3 of them play together and have a great time. I don't know what happened today. Ethan isn't always the best at relaying events. He went outside to find Rebecca and came back less than 10 minutes later. He came into the kitchen, where we were preparing supper, and he said, "Cameron told me to go away." His voice shook at the end of the sentence and then he dissolved into massive tears and sobbing.
I just held him and we went and snuggled on the couch, while he cried and cried. I told him that it is so hard when our friends hurt our feelings. And that it would be okay for him to tell Cameron that it's not a very nice thing to tell your friends to "go away", and that it hurt his feelings. Ethan was also standing on OUR driveway when Cameron said this. I also told Ethan he could stand on our driveway anytime he wants. He didn't want to go back outside, so we left it at that.
And tonight, without any prompting, he took it to God. He took it to the one he knew could "handle" it. I sometimes struggle to know how to teach Ethan how to pray or how he can take any problem to God. His prayers are usually pretty general, or repeats of what I have said. But tonight, he took his own, personal problem to God. With complete faith, he asked God to fix things for him.
Personally, I wanted to go next door and tell Cameron what I thought of him "pushing" my kid around, on MY property! But, of course, I didn't. I'm sure Cameron said it in a typical, bratty 9 year old way. But still. He hurt my kid's feelings. He wounded his spirit.
I know my sons' feelings are going to be hurt many times in their lives. I know their friends are going to say hurtful things. My sons will probably be on the "giving" end of that sometimes, too. My mama heart aches to infinitely protect them from this cruel world. But I can't. All I can do is be their soft place to fall. I can sit on the couch and hold my precious babies (big or small) while they cry. And I can keep encouraging them to take their problems to God. Because he is the ultimate comforter. And he will carry their burdens far better than I ever could.
This song, by Christian artist, Carolyn Arends, keeps running through my head.
Even the Wallflowers
From the moment you arrived here I've been utterly amazed
Astonished at your level of perfection
So it breaks my heart in pieces to imagine all the ways
You'll get hurt in spite of my protection
'Cause someday I'll have to send you like a soldier off to school
And the lesson you will learn there is that kids can be so cruel
So however well they like you and whatever grade you get
Promise me, baby, that you won't forget
Even the wallflowers do survive -- they can thrive
Even in the shadows
And there is a power in finding out for yourself
Rain or shine, whichever way it goes
Even the wallflowers grow
I hope they choose you early when the captains pick their teams
And I pray that they invite you to their dances
I hope it doesn't hurt too much the times you skin your knees
And that your heart endures it's first romances
I cannot imagine anyone not loving you
But everybody feels alone at least a time or two
And I wish that I could spare you any heartache down the road
But maybe then, baby, you never would know
Even the wallflowers do survive -- they can thrive
Even in the shadows
And there is a power in finding out for yourself
Rain or shine, whichever way it goes
Even the wallflowers
Grow in soil that's watered by
Every single tear they cry
Believe me, baby, you will live
And someday you will tell your kid
Even the wallflowers do survive -- they can thrive
Even in the shadows
And there is a power in finding out for yourself
Rain or shine, whichever way it goes
Even the wallflowers grow
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