Winking, Part THREE -OR- Haven't We Had Enough Lessons This Week ALREADY?

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
"Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 
"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:5-20)

So, we covered the idea that revenge is bad with one son, just in time to find out that another son is dealing with what could best be described as bullying or verbal abuse or physical abuse.  Or, let's just put it an in a nutshell and call it "meanness".

Now, some of you are shaking your heads thinking "They are in a CHRISTIAN school!  How in Sam Hill is THAT occurring in a CHRISTIAN school?"

To which I am pointedly going to respond: "Where BETTER than a Christian school for this to happen!" 

Now, I didn't come to that point by myself.  I have my moments of clarity, but this week hasn't been one filled with crystal-clear reminders.

Instead, it was one filled with knowing that I needed other people praying me through the mire and lifting me up continuously.  And when I raised my prayer requests, someone suggested that, in this school, we all KNOW we are broken.  We all KNOW we need a Savior.  We all KNOW we are capable of sin.  So, when issues are brought to our attention, we should be kindred spirits who are willing to work together to ask Christ to make the situation right again.

Well, bless her little heart if she isn't right.  Do you have ANY idea how freeing that thought was to me?  Even if it does scare the living daylights out of me at the same time?

Because that means confrontation.  That means bringing the ill behavior of someone else's child to light.  That means having difficult conversations about the way things are versus the way they SHOULD be.

But, having spoken to Mike, I see this is the RIGHT thing to do for everyone involved.

Just like my friend whose son was the victim of my son's ugly, vengeful words, I have to be woman enough to speak, in love, about the sickness of some one else's heart, as evidenced by their actions, FOR THE OTHER PERSON'S GOOD.

Just as the Matthew quote says, it is a responsibility that God placed on me (and us, as parents), to stand up and bring peace to places where there is hurt.

And, in doing so, we can expect that some will receive it readily and apologetically and with welcome arms.  Others won't.  But, according to scripture, it is certainly worth binding these issues on earth.  That, in my estimation, is making one giant step toward our Lord being able to come back to our home to take us to His Home.

This coming week and the weeks after will tell.  These conversations won't be easy.  And I have two very wonderful women to thank for pointing me to Christ in this situation.  

You know who you are, I admire you, and, I thank you for speaking the truth into my life, with boldness and love and courage.

The light of Christ truly does shine in the darkest of hours and in the darkest of situations.  And, yes.  You can quote me on that.

Because, if I know nothing else, that is more than enough.