Courage

Yesterday, just before lunch, I received a phone call from our oldest son. He was sick at school and needed me to come and pick him up. I'll be honest and tell you I was still in my PJ's enjoying a quiet morning at the house. I originally had no intentions of getting dressed yesterday. After a busy semester at school and my mom here last week, I wanted to just take the day and do whatever struck my fancy. But a mom's work is never done so I threw on clothes and headed to the school to collect my sick child. Although I wasn't sure how sick he really was because he sounded fine on the phone.

I arrived at the school to sign my child out and one of the mom's of a child in my son's class started talking to me. I can't even tell you what she said at first because I was trying to process what she was saying. Initially it sounded like my son and her son got in trouble for something and her son was suspended for 10 days. After further discussion she told me that my son was the one that told the teacher what had happened and her son was suspended. She had talked with her son about the situation. Her son knew what he did was wrong and wasn't mad at my son for telling the teacher. She also told me that when her son could go back to school he wanted to talk to my son but to let my son know that he wasn't going to be yelled at or anything like that. I felt overwhelmed. I was simply coming to pick up my sick child not learn about a middle school situation that resulted in a 10 day suspension of a student. I couldn't even think of what would warrant a suspension of 10 days. So I sat and waited for my son to collect his belongings so we could go home.


Once we were in the car I asked what happened with the child in question. He said I don't really know but him and another child I know were both suspended. I questioned my son because I was shocked that the second boy he named would be in trouble. He is generally a really good kid. He is in scouts with my son and I know his family. Upon further questioning I learned that the second child my son talked about brought oregano to school and sold it to the other boy as marijuana. That boy then tried to sell it or give it to my son. Until my son told the teacher and the whole thing got sorted out the only one that knew it was oregano was the original child that brought it to school. My son thought he was being offered drugs.

Instead of turning the other way or caving to peer pressure my son stood up and told an adult. I can't tell you how proud that makes me. He had many options yesterday which included to do nothing or the wrong thing but in the face of adversity and possible ridicule from other kids he stood up for what was right.

I would like to pat myself on the back and say what a great job we are doing as parents and how wonderful our family life is, but in reality we are stumbling through our parenting journey just as much as we succeed. I'm not sure why my son chose to do the right thing yesterday. He just did. I asked him why he told and he didn't have a concrete answer he just felt like it was what he was supposed to do. I think that happens to many of us in different situations throughout our life. We just feel that we are supposed to do something so we do it. Call a friend, send a note, stop what we are doing and listen to our spouse or child, help a stranger in need, or simply sit and be still with our self.

As I type this the song Courageous popped in my head. The only line in the song that I can recall off the top of my head is "We were made to be courageous." Then I have a flashback to the movie We Bought a Zoo. A line in the movie is "All you only need 20 seconds of insane courage, and I promise something great will come of it."

There are many times I don't feel courageous. After the events of yesterday I wonder what God is preparing me to be courageous for. It seems I am getting the message from multiple sources. I wasn't paying attention at first but I am now. No matter what you face today remember that you were made to be courageous.