Waiting for the Right Moment to Shine

Sometimes the kids do something to surprise you. You work hard to impress your values on them and hope they are catching on, then wind up amazed when you find out they actually are.

We get aggravated with our children; they get on our nerves being loud, picking at each other, whining about bed times or talking back. But there is a true color—a true light—in there waiting for the right moment to shine.

When I reflect on what our daughter did this week, it really shouldn't have surprised me, but I guess it just caught me off guard at the time.

We were coming home from church the other night. Jodi and I had been in our adult Bible study class. I'm teaching the book of Acts and really enjoying it. Our kids, David and Savannah, were in the children's class. Sherrill Poff is teaching it and doing a great job. Well, part of her program is that the children can earn points for learning, answering questions, memorizing scriptures and attendance. Then, the kids can use their points to "purchase" goodies from her "store." One of the more expensive prizes available Wednesday was J.R.R. Tolkien's book The Hobbit.

David was eating some gummy worms on the way home. "Where did you get those?" I asked. "I bought them with my points," he replied. "Share them with your sister," Jodi instructed him. He offered the bag to his sister and she ate a worm or two but didn't say anything.

"I wanted to get The Hobbit," David said, "but I didn't have enough points to get it. It was 500 points."

David had missed a Wednesday night because he had chosen to come into my class, so he had fallen behind the other kids in points earned.

He wanted that book because he had just that very day finished The Return of the King, the final book in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Let me just stop right here to tell you how proud of him I am that he read that entire trilogy. He earned a boat-load of A.R. points for the three books, too, I might add.

Inspired by David, I'm also reading them, but I'm a full book behind him. I love those books; they're clean, fun and, reading them, you completely get lost in the wonderful world Tolkien created. If, like David and me, you loved the movies, you'll love the books as well.

Anyway, The Hobbit is the prequel to the trilogy. It details some of Bilbo Baggins' early adventures. David wanted it but didn't have enough points, so he got candy instead.

"Here you go," Savannah said, reaching into her coat. She pulled out the book and handed it to her brother. "I knew you wanted it and didn't have enough points, so I got it for you."

"Savannah!" Jodi exclaimed, "You used all of your points to get that book for him?"

"Yep, I knew he finished the other books and was ready for it."

David was caught in a rare speechless moment. He wasn't sure how to respond or what to say. "Thanks!" he said, turning the book over in his hands.

I just tried to keep the car on the road. I was stunned for a moment. Then, as I mentioned earlier, I wasn't surprised at all. That is exactly like Savannah: always giving, always thinking about the other person.

Yes, sometimes our children surprise us. Sometimes they show us their true light.