Centered

Centered

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right. . . . Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9

I watched Jeff walk away from me, shoulders squared under his fuzzy blue jacket. The teacher we had met at open house now greeted him by name. Miss Maxwell’s eyes were warm and brown. I could imagine Jeff’s bright blue ones crinkling into a shy smile.

Taking your firstborn to kindergarten is tough. This is a big world, sometimes cold and mean. And on the first day of school, the illusion of being able to protect your child seems to fly away like autumn leaves in a stiff north wind.

The first couple of days, Jeff filled the ride home with talk of classroom routines, details of who sat beside him at snack time, and verbatim quotes of just about everything Miss Maxwell said. By the end of the week, I was almost as comfortable with kindergarten as he was. Almost.

Then on Friday afternoon, Jeff buckled his seat belt and announced, “We have sinners in our classroom.”

“What?” I had feared this. My child’s innocence was already being corrupted by the outside world. Where did he get such a notion? Who would say this to him? “Did someone tell you that, Jeff?”

“Miss Maxwell. Mom, I think we’re supposed to go now. The crossing guard is waving her flag at us.”

Miss Maxwell? I had to stay calm.

“I like the sinners, Mom,” Jeff was saying. Of course he did. Jeff liked everyone. “Especially art,” he continued.

“Art?”

“You know, drawing and coloring and stuff. That’s what you do in the art center. I like the block center, too, and the neighborhood center. But art’s my favorite.”

—Kathleen Brown

Lord, our fears can darken everything we see around us. Keep us from concentrating on our worries, and instead, help us to focus our attention on what we know is honorable and true. Our peace, your peace, is there. Amen.