Discouraged but not dispairing......

2 Cor 4:8-10

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.



I got a call today around 1:40 from the school principal, to come get Mary. Her teacher sent her to the principals office because all day she had been disruptive, not listening, interrupting, not obeying and generally the wild child I am very familiar with.

This is her second principal office visit in the last 6 days... (and two of those six days there was no school!)

sigh....

I got there, and she was curled up in a ball, asleep in a chair in the school office. No naps does not sit well with her. I am not saying that is the cause of the issues, but it is a contributor.

As I was driving to the school, I just kept praying. God give me wisdom. What do I say or do that would make a difference? I don't want to get angry. Don't want to punish just to punish, but I don't want to let it slide either.... No clue as to what to say or do.

But I know God loves Mary. He made her this energetic, upbeat, full of life little girl. And she is more than two hand-fulls. I know the challenges we have at home if you give her one tenth of an inch...so I can only imagine, a teacher with a classroom full...

Sometimes I think partial homeschooling would be best for her, but I do not have that option. And one might think she will outgrow it, and perhaps she will, or some of it..but what if she won't? Ignoring it will not make it better.

I become the blue-faced mommy telling her once again, we do not interuppt, we raise our hand and wait to be called on, we do not need to comment, question or make some noise about every thing that is said and done....

And the message goes in the ear, is understood for a second, and then some other interesting stimulus sends it right on out the other side. Is anything retained? Some is, because when asked she can mimic what is expected word for word. Words, but no action, Jackson.

So I pray, for her to develop a quiet spirit, or less some self-control. And we practice. It was too early to pick up the boy yet, so we sat at McDonald's and had a little snack..practicing. Mary raising her hand, if she wanted to speak. Sometimes me acknowledging her right away, other times making her wait a bit.

She did well, one on one. Even with a little boy in the table next to us talking non-stop and trying to figure out what we were doing and wasn't ketchup on french fries tasty, and he is going to apple hill soon and his great grandpa died, and he is four and sometimes he listens at school and this is the proper way to sit and.....

so yes, I see, it is not just Mary. Still, Mary is over the top, especially in a classroom full of children.

Back at school, picking up the boys, she still is practicing, raising the hand, but I already see, the excitement of other kids, and of mommy being distracted talking to others, and not focusing totally on her (much like the teacher, I would assume), the practice falls apart, and jumping, acting up and silliness soon abounds. Focus, Mary..and back to practice.

She is now taking a nap. We may try earlier bed times...and raising hand practice to and from school I also enlisted the boys help, to be good examples, vs wild children...

And perspective...I know this is not so tragic. There are many other mother's dealing with far greater concerns than I am today. Yet, this is the one before me, that I need to face with God's grace and wisdom.