wounds

some are necessary, and visible (like shots at a recent well-child check, above).
and some may not be visible, and we wonder if they are necessary.
jack, almost 11, is our 5th child.
he's very social: friendly, outgoing, talkative, funny.
he takes after his dad in all the best ways.
he has always wanted neighborhood friends, and yet in all the states in which we've lived, there haven't been any his age or gender.
imagine his delight when we moved onto this street. there are 4 boys his age within the range of 6 houses or so.
however.
he didn't anticipate how much it would bother him if the boys were mean, or used bad language.
he's an evangelist at heart, not afraid to ask people if they know Jesus.

last week, as i was mowing our yard, i noticed boys starting to come across the street.
they brought sleeping bags and overnight bags.
boys came from all over the neighborhood and others from his school.
i figured it was a party. and my son had not been invited.
don't mess with the mama bear.

those who know me well, know that i love to mow (or vacuum a pool) because it's a great, uninterrupted time to pray and ponder.
oh, i cried out to the Lord on behalf of my son.
"please don't let him notice, Lord."
and then he came out to scooter. i saw him go down the street, and notice the noise from this friend's backyard.
i watched him as he innocently rode into the driveway and asked if he could play.
my mother heart wanted to stop mowing and distract him.
"go inside and get a snack. play xbox. watch t.v."
my child-of-the-king mind told me to let him go.
i watched. i continued mowing.
he came home within minutes. told it wasn't a party and he should go home.
his best friend, older sister, olivia-13, told him it must be a party.
his sweet mind couldn't comprehend his friends lying to him.
so she went and asked a different boy. he told the truth. it was a sleepover birthday party.

have you ever seen your child's heart hurt and felt yours beat brokenly as well?
this was the scripture i had read that morning in my devotions:

"do not fear what you are about to suffer. behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. be faithful until death, and i will give you the crown of life." revelation 2:10

did i want to see my son suffer for speaking up about his faith to his friends at such a young age?
no.
but more than that, i DID want to see my son see that there is a God in heaven, who cares SO MUCH about him, that He would have given me that verse to share with him, on the very day that he would need to hear it.
persevere.
there is more to life than what the eye can see.

in wounds and rewards.