When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Will Arrive
Wrua... WRUD... Come c me... HEY... hey... doin?
These are meaningless greetings that come thru my text messages every now and then. Meaningless, huh? I am a 40-something woman, and I am just amazed at the depths (or lack thereof; I'm totally being sarcastic) some males will go to get your attention.
But the reality is that it is my fault. I answered. They put it out there, and I responded. I am old enough and wise enough to know that we teach others how to treat us, and I was doing just that.
At times, I didn't care simply because I did the same thing. WRUD was the line I dropped when I was trying to find someone to talk to when there was nothing on TV or when I had nothing to do. It literally meant nothing. It was harmless and meaningless. Until it wasn't...
Flashback to the day I was having a great day. I was at work, inspiring young minds (at least I was in my mind.) Out of nowhere, a text message from my middle daughter comes through:
"Guess who is the Salutatorian?"
What??? In an instant, I was the mother of the Salutatorian of the Class of 2018. I was godly proud and thought of nothing else but my girl and all the hard work she had invested to get to this very moment.
Not too long after that, I got a call from my principal informing me that my baby girl had mastered on all three of her state assessments. ALL THREE? WOW! I was blown away at the very fact that God chose me to usher these humans into the earth. And did I mention that my oldest is a math teacher and a coach and self-sufficient?
Then, it happened. Again. The infamous text:
WRUD
I looked at my phone and didn't respond.
Hello???
I could feel the agitation thru the text; the negativity sent something thru my body. Now all of a sudden, I was insulted that this man felt like he could just text me whenever he had nothing to do, and I was supposed to jump at his beck and call. And I was about to respond until one of my daughters called out to me. Suddenly, my attention was where it was supposed to be. Unfortunately, as much as I hate to admit, it had not always been that way.
When the student is ready, according to an old proverb, the teacher will arrive...
I now see how they were a part of my destiny before I was ever formed in my mother's womb. God knew me then, and He knows me now. He knew that, in my own strength, I was going to settle. He knew that I would lack self-compassion. He knew that it would be something I would have to work on everyday. He knew that the part of me that was raised to let others cut in front of me in line "because we would all have a chance to ride" would be ingrained in me as an adult. He knew that I would have troubles because I was never taught to boundaries as a child, which made me an easy target for a pedophile to molest and rape.
But that is no longer my story. I have turned the page. I am God's daughter. I am the apple of His eye. I have been all along. Everything He allowed me to overcome has made me the woman I am today. I am eternally grateful for the three girls He chose me to birth because these girls showed up with a PLOT TWIST for me!
So, Mothers, be encouraged. Love your babies, but raise them with a firm foundation. Dads, love your daughters enough to teach them their worth. Teach them that they determine their value by who and what the REALLY are, and not just what they have the potential to be. Parents, teach your children that, when you fail them (and you will), there is someone who never will. Teach them to learn how to wait on God. Teach them to do the work they need to do everyday of their lives and to allow patience to have her perfect work in them so that they will be WHOLE and ENTIRE and lack nothing. Create a village for them, and teach them to seek wise counsel (even professional counseling, if they need to) if they feel they cannot talk to you.
It is important to remember, as well, that mediocrity cannot command excellence. One of the worst things we can do as parents is expect our children to live up standards we ourselves don't live up to. The days of parents instructing their kids to "be better than me" come with a price called raising kids, instructional modeling, and even more teaching.
We will make mistakes, and so will they. But tell them, over and over again, it "ain't over until God says it's over." Teach them we live to get up and try again. Let them know that someone is always watching when they don't know it and that we really do teach others how to treat us. And most importantly, in the midst of it all, never forget: #hautemomsrock!!!
These are meaningless greetings that come thru my text messages every now and then. Meaningless, huh? I am a 40-something woman, and I am just amazed at the depths (or lack thereof; I'm totally being sarcastic) some males will go to get your attention.
But the reality is that it is my fault. I answered. They put it out there, and I responded. I am old enough and wise enough to know that we teach others how to treat us, and I was doing just that.
At times, I didn't care simply because I did the same thing. WRUD was the line I dropped when I was trying to find someone to talk to when there was nothing on TV or when I had nothing to do. It literally meant nothing. It was harmless and meaningless. Until it wasn't...
Flashback to the day I was having a great day. I was at work, inspiring young minds (at least I was in my mind.) Out of nowhere, a text message from my middle daughter comes through:
"Guess who is the Salutatorian?"
What??? In an instant, I was the mother of the Salutatorian of the Class of 2018. I was godly proud and thought of nothing else but my girl and all the hard work she had invested to get to this very moment.
Not too long after that, I got a call from my principal informing me that my baby girl had mastered on all three of her state assessments. ALL THREE? WOW! I was blown away at the very fact that God chose me to usher these humans into the earth. And did I mention that my oldest is a math teacher and a coach and self-sufficient?
Then, it happened. Again. The infamous text:
WRUD
I looked at my phone and didn't respond.
Hello???
I could feel the agitation thru the text; the negativity sent something thru my body. Now all of a sudden, I was insulted that this man felt like he could just text me whenever he had nothing to do, and I was supposed to jump at his beck and call. And I was about to respond until one of my daughters called out to me. Suddenly, my attention was where it was supposed to be. Unfortunately, as much as I hate to admit, it had not always been that way.
When the student is ready, according to an old proverb, the teacher will arrive...
I now see how they were a part of my destiny before I was ever formed in my mother's womb. God knew me then, and He knows me now. He knew that, in my own strength, I was going to settle. He knew that I would lack self-compassion. He knew that it would be something I would have to work on everyday. He knew that the part of me that was raised to let others cut in front of me in line "because we would all have a chance to ride" would be ingrained in me as an adult. He knew that I would have troubles because I was never taught to boundaries as a child, which made me an easy target for a pedophile to molest and rape.
But that is no longer my story. I have turned the page. I am God's daughter. I am the apple of His eye. I have been all along. Everything He allowed me to overcome has made me the woman I am today. I am eternally grateful for the three girls He chose me to birth because these girls showed up with a PLOT TWIST for me!
So, Mothers, be encouraged. Love your babies, but raise them with a firm foundation. Dads, love your daughters enough to teach them their worth. Teach them that they determine their value by who and what the REALLY are, and not just what they have the potential to be. Parents, teach your children that, when you fail them (and you will), there is someone who never will. Teach them to learn how to wait on God. Teach them to do the work they need to do everyday of their lives and to allow patience to have her perfect work in them so that they will be WHOLE and ENTIRE and lack nothing. Create a village for them, and teach them to seek wise counsel (even professional counseling, if they need to) if they feel they cannot talk to you.
It is important to remember, as well, that mediocrity cannot command excellence. One of the worst things we can do as parents is expect our children to live up standards we ourselves don't live up to. The days of parents instructing their kids to "be better than me" come with a price called raising kids, instructional modeling, and even more teaching.
We will make mistakes, and so will they. But tell them, over and over again, it "ain't over until God says it's over." Teach them we live to get up and try again. Let them know that someone is always watching when they don't know it and that we really do teach others how to treat us. And most importantly, in the midst of it all, never forget: #hautemomsrock!!!
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