Trouble At School!

Yesterday my son got into trouble at school. As I walked into the Principal's office my heart was beating a thousand times a minute. I was trying to hold it together professionally but my mama bear instinct was raging in full force. All I could think about was how to protect my son who was obviously upset. The principal informed me, "He had thrown a rock and it hit someone. He admitted he did it but said it was an accident. But he has been told not to play with rocks so he will lose his lunch break and his morning break the next day."
 
The thoughts whirling in my head were not pretty. "Really, he has gone here three years and never been in trouble and this warrants a visit to the Principal's office? He got hit in the head with a Lacrosse ball a month ago and it almost broke his nose but no one missed their break. A kid told my second grader to "F" off yesterday and nothing happened to that kid. Why is my son sitting here feeling so small and so destroyed?"
 
I took a deep breath, knowing that voicing these things took the focus off my son and he needed me to keep it together. He didn't need me attacking the system or arguing over the injustices of school discipline. He needed his mom to reassure him it was going to be okay. I put my "ghetto" Kimberley back inside and faced him.

"Son, did you tell the truth? Did you handle this with integrity? Then do not worry about all this other stuff. You knew you shouldn't pick up the rock because people might get hurt. You are not a bad kid but you did not make a good choice. You will own your part and take the consequence. You will respect the authority of this school even if you don't agree and even if it seems unfair. But know this, THERE IS NOTHING YOU DO THAT WILL EVER MAKE ME LOVE YOU ANY LESS! You are my son and I will always love you no matter what. This does not define you."
 
As we walked out of the office I could see him still struggling to come to grips with being sent to the principal. After he washed his face off I asked him if he needed me to pray over him and he said yes. I prayed for him to accept responsibility, have a peace that everything will be okay, and to remember that he is the son of a mighty, mighty king who will always love him.
 
I watched him walk back to class, and I was still shaking inside. Angry that my son was reduced to feeling so small but knowing that the world can be an ugly place. My job is to help him grow up owning his junk and handling himself with honor and integrity. He did not need me to protect him or help avoid the consequences, that just produces children who think nothing is ever their fault. My job was to ASSURE him that he is LOVED, no matter what. The reason I know how important this is...because I have a heavenly Father who does this for me DAILY.

^"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

Romans 8:38-39