Strike a Chord and Come On.

Last week one rainy and cold afternoon, I made my way to pick up my girls from their school. Rather than going through a insane car line at the new school, many of the parents opt to park across the street and walk to the school and pick up their kids. It makes it feel very “small townish”. 😉 Plus it saves time. In an effort to simplify anything in this crazy life, I’ve opted in on afternoon walker pickup festivities.

I’ve come to enjoy my time talking with other mom’s and letting the boo run her wild self around the courtyard. Except when it’s raining…then, it’s no fun.

As was this day.

We were all standing there with our umbrellas and wet shoes praying that some bell-god would ring the bell just thirty seconds early to put us all out of our misery.

No such luck.

While waiting, a woman and her son came walking out of the school. Her son looked to be about four years old and he was apparently not having a good day either. As he threw himself in a fit onto the WET grass and took his shoes off, the momma looked as though she was on the verge of a breakdown.

I looked at her sympathetically as she said, “This is not a good day.” As I have totally been there with my boo having the melt-downs and the sorts in ALL types of places. And there is nothing worse than having a bunch of perfected mom’s or grandmother’s observe your behavior while such an event is occurring!

Instead of just turning away and not staring, every-single-one of the perfected mommas put their eyes on that stressed out momma and that boy. And it was like a wolf-pack of mother’s just waiting to devour her in their minds for what she would do next.

Now, hear me say, I am one of extreme-do-whatever-you-have-to-do behavior tactics. And granted this one that she was about to pull was a little over the top but it really got my wheels turning. As the tired and frustrated momma decided that she had plainly had ENOUGH, she told her son if he didn’t get his shoes on and walk like a big boy, she would leave him there.

And he would not.

And so she did.

She walked to her car, got in and proceeded to leave.

If there were a precise “C”-chord to be struck in the “Oh-my-gosh-momma” hallelujah chorus, it had been struck at that moment. The looks of awe filled those mother’s faces like nothing I have ever seen before! Of course she came back and picked him up in his fit of rage and pulled his screaming self to the car.

Said momma left a permanent mark of who she ws to everyone standing around her. Eyes were rolled and looks of disbelief were thrown her way. A part of me honestly wanted to high-five her for following through with a threat that EVERY momma has made to their child. And yet another part of me wanted to run after her and say, “Don’t do it, these mommas will crucify you in their minds!”.

This morning, I was thinking about if Jesus I were standing around with us momma’s on that day, what would He think?

Would it be something like: “Wow, they really think more of themselves than what is so.”? I have a feeling He would because there are a lot of “I think I’m better than you” people walking around in this world of ours.

But actually, He did say this, only it was through Paul in the book of Romans.

“…Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement..” -Romans 12:3

I LOVE the part that says “sober judgement”. Because aren’t we all just a little delusional in such situations as this. It’s like our minds go into a drunken mode seeming to fog all the imperfect moments we have held as mom’s, wives and as friends!

So today, I’m taking those blinder’s off even more and hoping that you will strike a chord with me today, that of the “I’ll-never-be-perfect” hallelujah chorus. It’s a much sweeter song and I think we’ll win over a lot more hearts and maybe even encourage someone around us.

Singing along,
Nicki