Forgiveness

Yesterday after school, Jacob and this other boy got into a squabble about a kickball game. Now it wasn't a fight or argument or anything like that. Just one of those disagreements that happen when picking teams and someone doesn't like what team they are on.

When I picked him up from school, he was rubbing his arm and his eyes were red. I asked him what happened. He told me that another boy pinched him on the arm. I ask him why, what happened, etc. He told me about the kickball game and how the team picking was going. Well, I am not sure who went up to who but somehow both of them were unhappy and this kid reached over and pinched Jacob's arm. Jacob said it hurt so bad that he sat down and cried in front of all of his friends.

Mother Bear here. Whhhhaaaaaat? Who in the world would ever think of doing anything like that to you? What a bully I thought. We got into the car and I looked at his arm. There was already a bruise and a lump under the skin. Where is this kid? I am going punch him in the nose. I thought those things. I didn't really do it.

We got home and told Lenny about it. We grilled Jacob about what happened, we wanted to make sure that Jacob didn't instigate it, that he didn't hit the kid (totally not something he would do, by the way), or just get up in the kid's face and stir up trouble. We asked him every which way we could to make sure that we understood what happened.

Then Adam from across the street comes over. Adam said that this kid tried to choke him last year. I asked Adam if he told his teacher about it. He said (this is great) "No, I just backhanded him and he hasn't bothered me since." I thought I was going to fall over laughing. But golly wolly, isn't that what is called natural consequences? You are mean to a kid and you get smacked. You never are mean to that kid again. Sounds very "Wild at Heart"ish. But, in public schools you can't do that.

Ok, back to Jacob. Lenny talked to the principal about yesterday. By the way, Lenny is MAJORLY "Wild at Heart" and wanted to protect his kid passionately. She told us that she would call Jacob into her office this morning and get the details. So just a minute ago, she called me with the update. She told me that she talked to all parties, things are resolved, etc.

Here is the whole point to my story (sorry for all of the boring details). She told me that she heard Jacob say something that she has never heard a kid say before. When the other kid apologized to Jacob, Jacob replied back with "Thank you, you are forgiven". Wow. None of this "it's ok" garbage (because it isn't ok), nor did he just accept the apology. He went further than that. He told the kid that he was forgiven.

Isn't that what Jesus does for us? He doesn't just check off our sin infractions with a pen, he takes them and wipes them clean, he forgives the sin. I am soooooo proud of Jacob for doing that. I am so pleased when I see fruit of what we teach him, what we train him in and what we believe in. I can not wait to see what a mighty man of God he will soon become.