Lesson Learned

I love mornings! I love waking up. I love hopping out of bed. I love my quiet time with the Lord before the busy day begins. But, most of all, I absolutely love and cherish the mornings with my little girl. I never take for granted that I get to wake her up, get her ready and then drive her to school.

Often, there is a lot of chatter before we ever leave for school and this morning was no different. There are times that I get into a hurry trying to make everything run smoothly and on schedule and my Nevaeh is more of a "stop and smell the roses" type of kid. I told her to do something this morning she asked me why she had to do it that way. I have always hated when parents say "Because I said so." I have a way around that....I simply reply "That's just the way I roll." She looks up at me and says "Well, I was trying to roll that way too, but you wouldn't let me." I got a good chuckle out of that.

On our way to school is usually when the "deep conversations" take place. Nevaeh began to tell me that in class yesterday, the teacher was showing them different kids from all over the world. She noted that each each child represented a different country and they looked different. She said that one boy laughed at some of the kids but she didn't. Her next statement seemed very profound for a 7 year old.

"I didn't laugh because I am sure if those kids saw pictures of us, we would look different to them. It is just the way God made all of us."

What she was saying in her very simplistic, 7 year old way was....God made all of us in His image. We all look different, but that's ok.

During a time when the world is so focused on others religious practices and so intent on labeling each other...this was a lesson that I needed to hear and I cannot think of a better teacher than my child. I had to tell her how proud I was of her for not laughing and the depth of her understanding and tolerance. Being the child that she is, she simply looked at me and smiled as she said.....

"That's just the way I roll."