"I feel bad for their mom!"

You may know from my FB today that my family was woken up by a fight and argument between my neighbors that ended with one of the them yelling comments about hating "n***as" and etc. etc. etc.  Not a pleasant way to wake up.

My youngest son and I, who yes are somewhat nosy, watched from the window and tried to piece together what had happened.  It was unsettling to say the least but also not the first time that something like has occurred.

What struck me is the comment that my son made as the last squad car was driving away.

"You know who I feel bad for?"
"Who?"
"I feel bad for his mom!  I mean can you imagine your kid acting like that...and did you see, she was out there with him?  It would just be bad to know there was nothing you could do for your kid and he was just going to act all stupid like that."

Mercy.

I told him that mom's love their kids no matter what and that he is probably right, it probably does hurt her heart a lot and she probably wishes that there was something she could do. 

It stuck with me all day.  That comment.

Because in the midst of all the chaos we talked about how hard it was to hear everything that he was yelling.  And how we had to make ourselves stay in the house and not tell him to shut up using the 'n' word.  And how anger can just take over sometimes and make us do and say things we shouldn't.  And how cold and wet and silly he looked outside without shoes on at 5am.  In the midst of all of that...what stuck out to him was...

"I feel bad for his mom."

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

 ⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write 

them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 

It is imperative parents that we instill in our children devotion, obedience and love.  If you love the Lord...we must look for all the different ways we can pass that faith on so that our children can make it their own.  If you look at this passage, it is all right there for us.

...to be on your hearts...let the truth and love of the Word permeate your heart.  Let that love flow out of you to your family.

...impress them on your children...whether you are doing nothing or out and about be in communication with your kids, make sure you are talking and keeping the doors open.  Do they see you relying on Him?  Do they see you trusting Him?

...tie them as symbols and bind them...in our actions and in our minds let the goodness and truth of the Lord be reflected for our kids to see.  Do they see your actions and your thoughts focused on heavenly things?

...write them on the doorframes...is your house protected?  It is full of love?  Are you behaving in honorable ways?  Are you mindful of your language, what you watch, how you treat their father or mother, how you show love.  Do they find comfort there?

I don't know how or when my son learned to love others.  I don't know how or when he learned that it was right to care about how others are treated.  But I know that he has.  And I pray that these are lessons he continues to learn and share with the world around him. And I pray that God gives me and Marlon the strength and patience and obedience to always remember to keep this commandment.

"I feel bad for their mom!"

I could never have imagined.  God does good stuff.

That's what I got today.