Sin

So I had run all of my errands, put Will down for nap, was washing bottles so that Ryan had something clean to drink out of, and the phone rings. It was the principal of Jack and Ek's school. He was calling to inform me that Jack was in his office because he had punched a first grader. In the eye. A boy, I would later learn, whom he did not know. For no conceivable reason, Jack had hauled off and clocked this poor kid. A kid whose father, I would come to find out, is the minister of the Presbyterian church. Note: this is rich in irony because when I was 14 I "dated" the Presbyterian minister's son. Not the same one mind you. That would, well, be impossible, but anyway, you get the point. Or maybe not, since I'm not sure there is one. Anyhoo. When I went to school to pick him up and of course asked him what in the holy heck had happened, he starts out by telling me he doesn't know. We work past that load of you know what, and he then tells me that these two boys were sitting in front of him at the assembly, they started horsing around and then he joined in and accidentally-on-purpose punched this other kid. Problem #1 with this scenario is that these boys were not playing with Jack. #2, you don't punch someone no matter what (well at least not at school, since boys will be boys and punching will occur, but at least keep it off school grounds, please.) #3, Jack didn't tell any of this to the principal, so when we get home and he explains it to me, I'm all well then, let's call the principal and at least let him know that it wasn't completely unprovoked, still not ok though etc. #4, I call and am promptly informed that there was an Aide standing there (yes she is an adult which negates any chance of there being no credible witnesses) and according to her the 2 smaller boys were not horsing around. #5, my kid is a big fat liar???? I thought we had covered this sin before, remember when I payed out the wazoo for an eye exam that was completely unnecessary, because my kid insisted he couldn't see? I am dumbfounded by his blatant sin. Yet, as I have prayed and thought about this, I keep coming back to the question, "Why am I so surprised?" Sin is ugly, and it often has deep roots. We pull up these weeds of wrongdoing, confessing, crying, and praying to God for forgiveness, only to find in time that all we have done is break off the top of the weed, but have left the roots firmly in the ground. Did we not feel bad? Did we not desire forgiveness? Yes, but did we really rerpent? Well, if we return to that same sin, then no. In this sweet child's case, he is still learning. He has been given grace in the past, and will now have to face some serious consequences for his sin. That scout camping trip is off and there will be other disciplines in place. But it is still heartbreaking for a parent, and I understand, if only a bit, how God must feel when he watches us engage in sinful behavior - especially when we, as adults, know better. I will lavish my son with love, so he knows that my love for him is not dependent on his behavior. I will fall more in love with God, understanding how difficult it is to watch someone you adore make such foolish choices and yet know without a shadow of a doubt that that same person is more worthy of love now more than ever. Jeff and I will put our heads together and talk with Jack,again. And then we will pray, again.
******Update****
We talked with Jack this morning and at the end of the day there doesn't seem to be anything that precipitated the punch. He just got worked up in the assembly, perhaps the boys were being annoying during the program, perhaps they were rough-housing and the Aide missed it; nevertheless, our boy was wrong, he knows it and will be doing some "time" for the crime:)
Prayers are needed - Ella-Kathryn developed a fever this afternoon. I new something was up because for the past 3 days she has become weepy in the afternoons and cried actual tears telling me how sad she was about GG and how much she misses her GG. So upset in fact that we ended up busting out the home movies just to "see" her. We are treating the symptoms for now and will take her in to the clinic tomorrow. Hope it's not the piggy flu, but all signs point to the oinker. Pray for Will and Ryan especially, to stay healthy in the midst of all this. The rotten part is that the kids and I were all hanging out on my bed this afternoon, watching home movies and for the better part of a half an hour, EK was all up in Ryan's face. Good grief!

No special reason for this pic other than he's so stinkin' cute. He's wearing his new kicks from his grandparents - they're baby hi-tops. Too much! Love this boy:)