Yesterday after church we went to lunch with some friends. We were done eating and the kids were getting restless and J#1 kept throwing J#2's shoe around or hitting him with it. They were told several times to settle down. Then of course there is always a point where you look back and think "we stayed just a little too long". J#1 again takes J#2's shoe and tosses it, but this time there are people sitting behind them and it lands directly in a guy's plate!! Mechanic Man went right over and apologized and got J#1 and talked to him and had him go over and apologize. Mechanic Man even asked if he could buy him another dinner, the man said no and MM took J#1 back to where we were sitting, but this time right next to him.
After about a minute the man came over and told MM that he appreciated the offer of another dinner and asked if he could talk to J#1 for a second. He sat down and told him that he was not mad at him and that there is a place to throw things and play which is outside then there is a time to be quiet and play calmly. He really was very sweet about it then asked J#1 if he could buy him a cookie. So he did.
Afterwords, we left and in the car I explained to the boys again about inside behavior and the fact that I believe that man was a Christian made a difference in how he responded about the shoe incident. I told J#1 that even though he wasn't O.K. with a shoe being thrown on his food, he still showed kindness and gentleness and love toward J#1, which can only come from God. Because he could have gotten very angry and yelled, but he didn't. Then I tried to explain to him how sometimes he doesn't show the love of Jesus towards others. That sometimes we get so mad and we want our way, but that God tells us to love one another.
Then, of course, I start thinking about how we can be like that. We get a "shoe" thrown at us and it lands in the most inappropriate places. Maybe it is words, attitudes or actions of someone towards us. Do we act humbly and loving back or do we demand what is ours. I'm not saying that there are not times when something is wrong and should not be called out, but there are times we just think about ourselves and not take into consideration the circumstance of the one doing it. That man took the time and the extra step to come love my child with his words so that J#1 didn't feel so bad. I don't think this is a lesson soon forgotten by the whole family.
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3 comments:
Oh my gosh, I would have been absolutely mortified!!! My boys are always doing something in public that makes me want to run away screaming (particularly my 2 year old)! haha
You know, that is a very good lesson though... most people instantly react to something like that with anger. It was great for that man to be so nice about it!
That is a really good story! What a nice man!
what a great story!!
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