Today was the last day of summer camp for our little second grade daughter, Jessica. The last day of fun in the sun, swimming (her favorite) and sticky afternoon treats in front of old videos. I received a call mid-morning from the office (who knows me fairly well because I had worked for the camp and school off and on). It seems that Jessica had a pair of those cheap, roll-up, film "sunglasses" that the doctors give you when your eyes are dilated. The question I got out of the blue was, "Did you give Jessica these; she says you did?" My first response was, "Today...no." The administrator explained that a little boy who "needs" them says they are his, and Jessica claims they are hers and that her mom had given them to her. "We are telling her she cannot go swimming, if she isn't telling the truth," she reported somewhat sternly.
Then it dawned on me. "Well, I actually did give Jessica a pair of these about two weeks ago," I said matter-of-factually. I had been cleaning and found the old pair and had offered them to my crafty and imaginative little seven year old, deciding she could probably use them for some fun purpose.
The lady on the other end replied, "Oh, well then maybe they are hers?" I asked if I could talk to Jessica at that point. I heard a sobbing little voice answer, "They are mine, Momma." I gently reprimanded her for taking toys to school, as this was generally a school no-no. (Granted, she could take beach gear like glasses to the pool.) "But I'm afraid they won't let me go swimming." I told her, "You know, they probably are yours, but if this little boy needs them, let's just let him have them so you can go swimming. They aren't all that important to us. I will tell them." "Okay." I then explained to the administrator that I didn't know whose they were, but if the little boy needed them, he should have them. It's not that big a deal and that she wanted to be able to go swimming.
I got off the phone a little "put out" about how much was made of such a silly little thing. The adults present couldn't resolve it themselves over there? You know, we momma bears get our fur ruffled when our babies are called liars and are tearful over it. I reasoned that even if she wasn't telling the truth, at her age, she may have "perceived" that they were her glasses, since they looked like the ones she owned. She had no doubt took them to camp to wear to the pool and "impress" her little friends. As I tried to tell myself to just forget about it and that it was trivial, the Holy Spirit seemed to bring to memory something Jesus said...
"And if anyone wants to sue you and take your undershirt (tunic), let him have your coat also." Matthew 5:40 AMPLIFIED Version
This is where Jesus told us to "turn the other cheek" and not return evil for evil but instead, as THE MESSAGE (C) Bible puts it:
"If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, gift-wrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously." Matthew 5:38-42
It was a great opportunity later that afternoon to tell Jessica she had done the right thing in spite of being accused of doing the wrong thing; and that I was proud of her, as was Jesus. Turns out, she said, that the little boy found his glasses after all. She had told the truth. Best of all, she got to go swimming. Bless the Lord for teachable moments. We can "sweat the small stuff "or use them for good. Joseph, the mistreated little brother, who became second ruler in all of Egypt, told his siblings,
"But as for you, you
meant evil against me; but God
meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." Genesis 50:20 NKJV
Okay, so maybe no one saved a life today, but she was willing to let go of something for another's comfort and we got to keep a little girl's heart from breaking. Happy Friday! RDN
