I usually arrive early to pick Mr. Victor up from pretty school. I do this for two reasons. The first is that it gives me at least a tiny glimpse into his day. The last 10 or 15 minutes for a child who deals with emotional dysregularion are probably not the best to observe as they are less likely to be his best, but it is a glimpse. And second, selfishly, I want a good parking spot so that at the end of the day, I don't have as far to bribe, coax, coddle, push, pull, whatever-it-takes my preschooler, who would prefer to do anything other than what I want him to do which at that moment involves walking in as straight a line as possible from the door of the school to the door of the van. And since I also prefer to do it without embarrassment in front of all the other parents whose children are nicely walking where they are to go, or are happily carried in a parent's arms, closer is better. It means for a faster exit.
On the other hand, when my child is still spinning in the reading corner when he should have just left the carpet from circle time, and then respectfully found his coat and backpack, and then quietly chosen a seat to politely wait for his name to be called for dismissal, then we still stand out as all of the other children and parents are paired up and leaving the building while I stand waiting.
So you can imagine my surprise when yesterday I arrived and the first thing I saw was that Victor's usual spot in the reading corner (bouncing from sofa to chair with spins in-between) was filled not with Victor but with his TSS and BSC who both looked over and gave me thumbs-up. What?????
Yes, Ms. Cindy told me after joining me at the head of the parent line, not only was he currently sitting in circle time, but he was also obedient all morning, listening not just to the teachers he likes but to all of the teachers, therapists, and student teachers with him for the morning. He did have an accident (story of our lives) but he told on himself and then proceeded to calmly change his own clothes.
Who was this and what did he do with my beloved Victor? Never mind. Don't answer that. I'll take this one.
The rest of the day was the same. Of course we had a few outbursts but they were oh so normal. As in, any other preschooler might have had the same reaction to the same situation.
I couldn't help but share our good news on FB and thank the many, many people who pray for Victor and for our family. In that announcement, I stated that I had no idea what the explanation was but that I was thankful for the reprieve and praised God for this day.
And then I got a message from one of my prayer partners. Uh, duh, Cindy, of course things went better. You sent out an SOS letter to your prayer team this weekend, asking for extra prayer coverage in your home and over your up-coming speaking engagements.
Okay, she wasn't as blunt. But she was right. I had asked for prayer. I have multiple speaking engagements this month and was feeling the spiritual warfare in our home, something that I've found it common when I am doing a lot of speaking. So why should I be surprised, when, just a few days later, that extra prayer covering moves mountains?
And oh, the irony... two of those speaking engagements were/are on (wait for it....) praying for our children.
Of course. Sometimes the lesson is most needed by the teacher. I remembered to pray for my family, and to ask for extra prayer covering, but the part I forgot? To wait in expectancy for the answer.
"You'll never be a perfect parent, but you can be a praying parent. Prayer is your highest privilege as a parent. Don't just leverage it as a last resort when all else fails. Make it your first priority. Nothing you can do will give you a higher return on your investment, and the dividends are both generational and eternal. God will answer your prayers for your children long after you are gone. Prayer turns ordinary parents into prophets who shape the destinies of their children, grandchildren, and every generation that follows." Mark Batterson
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