OK, I'll admit it- my daughter isn't on a network television show or even on a cable channel but rather on a closed circuit TV morning news show in her school. Of course, there are still 800 people watching so what happened really was a big deal to her. Usually only a few select 5th graders get a chance to appear on morning news so when the opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance to get her on the show. You see, my daughter wants to be a reporter. Most girls her age get things like clothes, video games, or baby dolls for Christmas, but the only thing my daughter wanted from Santa was a typewriter. That is right, an old fashioned, black, manual typewriter. Well you can imagine Santa had a little problem with that (especially since it was only a week before Christmas); he did however, manage to deliver an electric, grey one instead. How did my daughter get the chance to be a reporter so young? I'm glad you asked... I paid for it! Her school PTO sponsored a silent auction and this was something we could bid on. Now let me tell you, the bidding process alone was a new experience for me. I would like to give a shout out to the other mother who gave me the courage stand my ground and took turns watching our bid sheets to allow our children this opportunity. After all, the bid was for hosting the morning show for an entire week!!! Without her, I think I would have crumbled- if looks could kill... Now that you know how much my daughter wants to be a reporter and all of the effort I went through to get her this chance, you would think this would be the perfect experience for her right? Ummm, nothing is ever easy is it? On Monday morning we went to school early and began to prepare for the show. A very well meaning 5th grade student exclaimed "Why did you wear green??? You will look like a ghost and everyone will laugh" Oh no, my daughter was a little nervous and this was not a good start. I quickly pulled off my cream colored wrap and gave it to her. Being a desperate mother, I had actually offered her the blue t-shirt I was wearing until I realized that I would be next to naked at the school! She got one chance to rehearse and then broke down into tears. Oops, what have I done? You will be happy to know that once on camera, she did great. That is until Daddy watched her on Wednesday. I still haven't gotten the full story, but somehow the microphone broke apart while on-air, she missed the script rolling on a nearby computer screen and finally did cry on camera. Yes, all 800 people saw the entire thing. Of course, I had no idea any of this happened until she got off the bus with puffy eyes and tears streaming down her face. Apparently, the incident didn't seem like a big deal to my husband and he failed to warn me!!! We sat down at the kitchen table and talked. I started out singing "Mama said there'd be days like this, there'd be days like this my mama said..." and then I got a violent stare back from her. I quickly changed tactics. We talked about being embarrassed and having the courage to continue on even if we didn't want to. You will be happy to know that she did go back today. As a parent, I want her to face challenges. I want her to gain the confidence from overcoming embarrassment. I want her to grow and in the process become more Christ-like. However (and it is a BIG however), I don't want to see her go through pain. The Bible tells us that God loves each of us more than a parent loves their children. I know God allows difficult things to come into my life to help me in the future. Unbelievable as it seems, God loves me more than I love my own daughter. The challenges God has allowed for me in my life have indeed made me stronger, more compassionate and even more humble. Can you think of a challenge God allowed for you that in the end made you more like Christ? I want to hear from you. Post your comment and encourage someone with how a difficult time in your life has made you better.
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