Hang In There, Mama!

But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. ~~2 Thessalonians 3:13

I observed something in the grocery store today that caused me to pray for a complete stranger. Not that I never pray for complete strangers. I often find myself whispering a prayer for the man on the side of the road holding a sign that reads, “Will work for food.” Or, it may be the woman waiting for someone to open the door to a business so that she can enter with her wheelchair. Sometimes I’ll even pray for a cashier that is particularly rude. But today, I was severely interceding for a young mom to stand firm against her little boy. I was praying, “Lord, please let her not grow weary in well doing.”

This little boy simply wanted her to buy him a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup that caught his eye at the check-out. Mom said, “No, we’re going to have lunch when we get home.”

“I want it now,” he persisted, “I’m starving!”

This exchange of heated words went on the entire time they waited in line—the young man, punctuating his demands with a stamping of the feet and returning the candy to the counter; the mother, wearing a look of weariness, sadness, and utter embarrassment, returning the candy to the rack. Just as the cashier finished my transaction and turned to this young mother, the little boy picked up the package of Reese’s Cups, one last time, and squeezed them in his hand—a look of defiance on his face. The mother sighed and said, “Okay, give them to me.”

Inside I screamed, “NOOO! Don’t give in!”

The mother took the mangled candy, handed it to the cashier and said, “Ring these up, please, and then throw them into the trash.”

I gave the mother a huge smile walked away feeling triumphant. As though I’d been rooting for my team—the mother team—and we won. Why? Why did I empathize so much with this young mom? Because I’ve been in the same place. I have sons of my own. I have a few very strong-willed sons. I’ve experienced the same type of confrontations, and worse.

But as I got into my car and turned the key, I whispered another prayer, “Lord, keep her strong at home, too.”

You see, the battle is easier when you have a cheering section. When you’re in public and some of your teammates are watching how you deal with a situation, it’s much easier to win. The real war, though, is when you get home—when you’re fighting the battle alone, no other team members cheering for you.

How many times do you find yourself curled up on the couch, reading a book, and you just can’t bring yourself to get up and deal with the unruly child in the next room? Or, you’re on the computer and rather than walk away and cut up the fruit for a nutritious snack, you let the child have the candy. Or, you’re chatting on the phone with a girlfriend and the little guy is getting into something he’s been told umpteen times not to get into, but you don’t want to cut your friend short and intervene.

I know you’re tired. I know you’re tired of saying the same things over and over again. But don’t forget, you not only have teammates praying for you, cheering you on, you have the Coach holding you up, giving you strength. You have Jesus, who went through the temptations in the desert, who did not grow weary in well doing. You belong to Him that “shall gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:11)

Carol J. Alexander is a freelance writer and homeschooling, homesteading mom in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. You can read more of her encouragement and helpful tips at Everything Home…with Carol.

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