Green Underwear

Since becoming a mom to 3, I have developed somewhat of a memory problem. There is so much to remember between homework, laundry, dinner, schedules, practices, bathing, etc. My husband, who works with computers, says that I have a server (hence, the computer lingo) for a brain. However, I feel like lately the server has lost a few files. In the past week, I forgot to pick Jacob up from school (he gets out at 2:50 and it was 3:08 when I remembered), forgot a close friend's baby shower and finally the ultimate no-no, I forgot it was St. Patrick's Day until I saw Jacob off to school in his very blue and white shirt. Yes, I sent my child into a school wearing ZERO green with eager children waiting to pinch at the first moment they spotted that unfortunate soul.

After picking him up from school (I remembered this time), I inquired about his day and gently lead up to the big question, "Did you get pinched any?" Duh! Of course he did! He said he lost count because he "got pinched a lot in the morning and a lot in the afternoon and all the time in between." Yikes...that bad? So, trying to lighten the mood, I jokingly said, "You should've told them you had green underwear on." Gasp! He very quickly informed me that he didn't have green underwear on and that would be lying. So, I said, "Well, you could've just tricked them." Another gasp. "But, that would be lying and if I lie then I wouldn't be showing them that I have Jesus in my heart." Ouch! My very 'black and white with no shades of gray in between' child made his mommy very proud at that moment. He took this seriously because he takes his love for Jesus seriously. We have often talked about setting an example to others that reflects what having Jesus in our hearts looks like. Here I am encouraging him to go against that. No, I really didn't want him to "lie," I simply didn't want him to fall victim to the pinching fingers of 18 over zealous classmates. But, to him, there wasn't any other way.

I pondered this the rest of the afternoon and I've come to this conclusion: how many times do I compromise my faith just to avoid the imminent possibility of being vulnerable? Whether it's by a harmless little white lie, not following through on a promise, an outburst of anger, a snide remark or sharing in a bit of gossip, I am compromising what I know to be true and that's the living, breathing Word of God; the same Word that I have prayed over my children, meditated in my heart and established our home on. No, I am not perfect and I sin just like everyone else. But, if for one moment, a child, my child, can open my eyes to the error of my ways, then I am all the more wiser.

Yes, my dear child, you did not have green underwear on today. I wish I could take every one of those pinches for you. But, you did not complain and, in the end, taught your mommy a very valuable lesson and reflected what our ultimate goal should always be: showing others that we have Jesus in our hearts.