No, Not Mine!

Jun 18

It couldn’t be my child. No, not mine. I heard the words from behind me, and for a split second I searched my memories for other children.  Were there other children around? I turned.  No. No other children were there.  No other six-year old boy sat perched in the small space in between boxes of shoes but mine.  I knew he said it as soon as I saw him.

There Colin sat amongst the shoes on the row behind me in Marshall’s with the most pitiful sad look on his face.  His hands were cupped together and held out in front of him.  I knew the words I heard were from him.  “M’am, could I please have some money?”  He had questioned the sweet and innocent shopper only a few feet away.  If I were a mother frog, I would have whipped out my lightening fast tongue and slurped him up.  Good-bye Colin.  But, alas, I am not.  So instead I put on my best “Oh-no-you-didn’t” eyes and told the little boy with the frog tee-shirt to come hither.  
Come on.  He was sitting in his brand new slip-on, cinch-up tennis shoes from Children’s Place, a new tee-shirt from Gymboree, and in his arms was a new stuffed animal from The Disney Store.  Did he really think people were going to give him money?
I was furious.  I put his stuffed animal in time-out, promised a spanking when we returned to the car, and revoked his milkshake privileges for the way home.  What was he thinking?  I explained how some people really were so needy they were forced to beg for money, and then I assured him that he did NOT fit into that category.  He was pretending to be something he wasn’t.  
Colin pretended to have a need he really didn’t have.  How many of us do just the opposite.  We pretend not to have a need that we really do.  A good friend of mine recently came out and admitted that she is really hurting.  But for so long she has been pretending that everything was okay.  Everything was not okay.  Now that she’s admitted she has a need, there are others around to help lift her up.  
That’s what we are supposed to do – lift each other up.  If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!  Ecclesiastes 4:10 NIV  
Are you, like Colin, pretending to be something you are not?  If you are pretending to have a need and you really don’t, I’m going to have to revoke your milkshake privileges.  But if you are pretending to be okay and you really have a need, reach out to someone.  We are all just here to help.  

p.s.  Please pray for my friend who is hurting.  Please also pray for Amy and I as we travel to the She Speaks conference.  I will be presenting my book proposal while I’m gone.  I won’t be posting again until next week.  See you soon!

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  • Grafted Branch@Restoring the Years Jun 20 at 4:32 am

    I must admit that I’m a little amused at Colin’s antics. Is he a second born? Because that sure sounds like second born behavior to me. Second borns are gifts; they show us that we take ourselves too seriously. 🙂

  • MaryLu Jun 20 at 2:26 pm

    Good post. Pretending not to have needs that we really have is so very prevalent in our culture. I think it is the major way that Satan leads people astray. If he can get people to overlook their sin and brokenness, he’s won the battle. For why do you need a Savior if you have it all together.
    Lifting you up in prayer, and your hurting friend. I have one too.

  • Jess Jun 20 at 6:06 pm

    oh! great post – and have a wonderful time at the conference….you’ll be in my neck of the woods!

    love
    jes

  • Christina Jun 20 at 7:12 pm

    Oh the things little boys think of. He will surely remember this lesson.

  • DeAnna Jun 20 at 8:13 pm

    I think every mama of an active little boy can relate to that one, girlfriend. What a great way to relate it to the “masks” we all wear from time to time.

    Good luck with the book proposal!! Baaaa!!!

  • Mocha with Linda Jun 24 at 2:03 am

    That is hilarious about your boy (since it’s yours and not mine! LOL) And I love the flip-it-around analogy!

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