Mom Heart Moments #189

The seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

WHEN JOEL WAS ABOUT eleven years old, I thought he would enjoy being involved in a local boys’ choir. He had been musical from a very young age, singing on pitch from around eighteen months and making music throughout childhood. I thought being in the boys’ choir would give him an opportunity to receive some formal musical training and immerse himself in a structured musical experience.

As Joel got involved and received attention from the director, an older boy, who was about to graduate from the group, began to bully Joel. He was mean to him, pushing him around during breaks and telling him he wasn’t really that good. Joel reported to us what was happening, and we made an appointment to talk to the choir director about it. One night when Clay was out of town, Joel came to talk to me about the boy. He’d found out this older boy’s father had recently left his family and that they had been forced to move out of their house. He told me, “Mama, that would make me so sad and angry. Maybe that’s why the boy is being mean to me. I think I just need to be patient and kind to him, because that’s what Jesus would want me to do.”

This was a moment when Joel decided to have character like Jesus so he could be a witness and help to this boy. Clay and I were ready to go to the director, but Joel wanted to handle the situation privately, a testimony to his developing Christian character that showed he’d been listening to our family devotions and discussions about humility and serving others.

Do you tend to rush in to “fix things” when your children encounter difficult situations? How might waiting on God’s timing allow for an even better result?