So, anyone who knows me well, knows that my summer motto is: Spend as much time as humanly possible at the pool! I guess the big reason is, I feel like it is the only place I can really relax. When I am at the pool there is no way I can be distracted by housework!
By this time of the summer, the kids are kind of done with the pool. They have already mastered the water slide and 3 of the 4 are allowed all access to the deep end and diving board so, the thrill is gone. In an effort to renew their interest and kill the boredom, I went to the store and bought some diving sticks and a fish diving set. The set included several small plastic fish, (none that could replace Mr. Goldberg) some shells, starfish, seahorses, a net to catch them and ONE larger neon green fish.
After about three and a half hours at the pool I decided it was time to face reality and head home to make supper. I began to round up the kids and their new favorite pool toys. Amazingly enough we had all but one! We were missing the ONE neon green fish. I was ready to cut our losses and head home. I'd had enough fish hunting at the pool for one week. But, Jake did not agree. He began to protest with large tears. Saying, "that one was my favorite!!"
I asked my other kids if they had the missing fish or knew where it was. Josh said, "Some kid took it. He said it was his and he took it home." Frustrated but still wanting to make every effort to recover our missing fish I asked the kids to walk around the pool and see if the kid had dropped it. A few minutes later Josh comes back pointing across the pool stating the kid still had our fish! I said, "Did you ask him for it?" Josh said that he had and the boy said, "NO!"
We've had encounters with this same kid earlier in the summer. He was hitting and pushing my kids around. At that time I had just instructed them to put distance between themselves and him. Reminding them that we are to "turn the other cheek." Today, however, he was hanging out with a group of boys that had been bullying my kids and their group of friends. This group of bullies had already tried to steal one of our super soakers and was using their own squirt guns to spray Josh and his friends with a mixture of sunscreen and water. I decided enough was enough, and I was NOT leaving without the fish!!
I handed Josh my swimsuit cover up and marched into the water. I tapped the boy on the shoulder and asked for the fish back. He said, "NO, it is mine." I said, "No it isn't, it is ours." With no further arguments the kid handed over the fish. As I walked back on shore and returned the fish to the kids they cheered! They asked how I got the fish back. I told them, "I've got your back!" At that moment, I was my kids' hero!
We all need a hero. My mom has been my hero many times too. Even today, she was willing to drop all she had on her plate at home (which is a lot!) and drive three hours to fill in for my babysitter tomorrow so I could go to work. But, truth be told, she can't always be my hero. But, God can. He can help us fight our battles and solve our problems. And sometimes when there is no solution He can give us peace to deal with the problem.
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
God has our back!
No comments:
Post a Comment