I may or may not be as patient as I once thought..

We are having a BLAST this week at our church's very first VBS. I am helping in Gianna's class with a very dear friend, a friend who I might add, has the patience of Job. Seriously, she is uber calm and collected ALL. THE. TIME.  Which is one of the many, many reasons that I love her. And I am SO HAPPY to surround myself with folks who have "it" together. Because we aaaaalllllll know  that I do not. 

( no comments boys!)

So anyhoo, in Sunday School(the day before VBS) this little girl comes up to me as I am dropping Gianna off, and says, ever-so-sweetly, " I'm sorry for hitting your daughter in the back."

Ummm.... 

WHATDIDYOUJUSTSAYBECAUSEMYBEARCLAWSHAVEJUSTCOMEOUT???

And, as fate would have it, Miss Ever-so-sweetly is attending VBS as well.  Yay Me!!

(Disclaimer:Her family is visiting our church, so I really don't know them, and honestly, she is four, so I understand that four year olds are impulsive.I really do. Just please NOT against Gianna, whom the WHOLE CLASS knows and is careful with.)

Soooooo, Here's the rundown:

VBS Day One: Miss Ever-so-sweetly hits another child deliberately and with malice. A child who was crying because they weren't feeling well. A child who was being held by an adult at the time of the aggression. She promptly apologizes and I marched her to a chair away from everyone else to wait for her mom. Tell her mom, and get this response: "Oh, is that ALL she did?" 

Hmmm..... I get the feeling this isn't "out of the norm" for Miss Ever-so sweetly.

VBS Day Two: In the first ten minutes of VBS, Miss Ever-so-sweetly announces to the whole auditorium that this is her friend Emily, and she told her she was sorry for hitting her and now they are friends.

Are you seeing a pattern? Cuz I think I might just see a habitual hitter in the making.

Then back in our class, she tries to HIT GIANNA ON THE BACK with a toy, but was intercepted, and I am sure VERY apologetic. 

Every  single sinful thought you can imagine crossed my mind. 

At this point, visitor or no, I am FUMING. I tell the mom at pickup as calmly as I can, that ANY significant hit to the back is a trip to the hospital for Gianna. That her skin could split open, or worse that her rod could dislodge. Did she understand the seriousness of the situation and that her daughter CANNOT hit my child on the back??????

Her mom's response was, ummm, less than desired-Let's just leave it at that.

I came home, called Greg and had hate filled thoughts about Miss Ever-so-sweetly AND her ambivalent mother. We were both pretty upset...... 

                                               .........And then I prayed.

For the Lil' Miss AND her mom. I thought of her mom's situation- New church. First child. Learning to discipline. Maybe a new christian?  Maybe at her wits end, embarrassed and not sure how to respond? Maybe looking for friends and hoping VBS was an avenue?

And my heart changed. Softened. Realized that my "perfect" children, aren't really perfect and choose the most inopportune times to display their imperfections. And I expect my friends to love them, and to forgive them anyway. And they do.

VBS Day Three: With my new-found patience, I determined to enter the class today with a better attitude. Lil' Miss comes into the classroom and says, "Gianna is like a butterfly."

Say What?

"Gianna is like a butterfly. They are fragile and if you touch them, they won't fly any more. I can't touch Gianna."

 

Wow. 

And I am proud to say, that Lil Miss had a great day today. When her mom came to pick her up, I told her what her daughter said, and how great she did. Her mom let out a deep  relieved sigh, and said, "We talked for a VERY long time with her trying to make her understand why we don't hit, and why she should be careful with Gianna. I am SO GLAD she understood what we said."

What a lesson- For me. I lack graciousness, patience with others, and the ability to think the BEST of others. I WANT that sweet heart attitude that lets offenses roll right off with a smile.

 And I obviously am NOT there yet.

But I am learning- Thanks to a little four year old girl and her mom at VBS.