Ice Follies

It occurred to me how much I enjoy spending time at our local elementary school while it was closed last week due to all the ice. I experience some great teachable moments and of course there are many times when I am the one being taught while I am there. I enjoy watching the kids grow throughout the year and hear how their goals and dreams change over time.

While sledding with my youngest son during the day that I was home and ice bound last week, I realized something that had not occurred to me in quite a while. Am I encouraging my son or misleading him? Speaking the truth in all things is one of our family watch words. Have I been honest with my son or have I misled him? This thought hit me rather hard on this day.

My youngest son was born with a club foot, which required surgery early in life, and as a result one foot is two sizes smaller than the other. He can run, jump, and play with the best of them, but he can’t quite do everything that other children can do. Because of a lack of a tendon, he can’t stretch or point his foot downward very well at all. This has not slowed him down, but it might later in life.

After sledding, we spent the evening making Lego airplanes and my son said how great it would be to become a pilot one day. Having worked on, in, and around aircraft for over two decades, I told him that on most aircraft the brakes are at the top of the rudder pedals and it requires you to exert pressure on the top of the pedals in order to stop the aircraft. I explained to him that his foot may not allow him to do that. Was this a life crushing moment? I don’t think so. I told him it’s possible that he could still fly planes, just maybe not the ones that he is dreaming of.

This brings me back to the elementary school; I have attended many fifth grade graduations over the past three years and frequently hear about dreams. Each graduation ceremony the principle will tell the children that they can do anything and become anything they want to do in life. Is this true? It is certainly encouraging, which is what we should always strive to say and do, but is it true?

No one knows your child better than you. As parents, we steer our children into the direction of truth. We strive to encourage them and build them up. Paul speaks about spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12, but it might just as well be an example of physical gifts. We may not be able to do the things that we dream about, but we certainly can encourage and build each other up in truth and in love.