JB, Gloria, and I went to the park again this morning, one, because they were getting very cranky in the apartment and I wasn't getting anything done anyway with them both clinging to me, and two, it was a beautiful morning and we all got some sunshine...one advantage of being in Oklahoma in the late fall 80 degree weather!.
While playing at the park there was another little boy, "three years old" he told me, that came to play with two young women accompanying him, but not really watching him for most of the time. I was helping Gloria cross a low bridge while JB and the other three year old boy were playing near by. I shortly realized that I had to monitor JB closely with this boy because of the boy's actions and words. The boy would throw sand and JB would throw sand until I told him not to. The boy would kick the wood chips at JB and JB would do the same thing...until I told him not to. One time JB threw sand again after I told him not to and he got punished for that.
The boy started to run around the little tot jungle jim yelling "you can't catch me, butthead." JB of course ran after him laughing and enjoying the fact that he had someone to play with. Then the boy stood up on a low post and said "you can't do this, butthead." JB stood on another post successfully but fell on his bottom while getting off. The boy said "see, you can't do it!" The boy started spitting at JB with his tongue and JB did it once, which immediately brought Mommy's reprimand. JB stopped after I explained that he doesn't have to do what the boy is doing especially because Mommy told him not to and he has to obey Mommy.
The part where I smiled a little was when JB started blowing him kisses instead of spitting. The boy looked rather shocked and stopped spitting at him. However, the boy kept calling JB names and I didn't want JB to pick that up, so I told JB we were going to leave now (we had been there for a couple of hours anyway). I told JB to say goodbye to the boy and thank him for playing. JB did this cheerfully and obediently. As I was leading him out of the playground, JB said a couple more goodbyes to the boy and then shouted over his shoulder, "I love you!" I think he got this from when Mommy and Daddy say goodbye or goodnight to JB, we usually follow it up with "I love you." It definitely brought a smile to my face.
The boy was not necessarily JB's enemy, but this experience reminded me of three different passages in the Bible: Prov 5:21,22 which says (paraphrase) by doing good things for your enemy you will "heap burning coals on his head" and the Lord will reward you, Matt. 5:44 about loving your enemy, and finally, Prov 22:6, train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. As we were leaving I felt sad for the boy because of how he was probably being brought up, with lack of loving discipline.
I hope that JB responds to his enemies, not with hate or revenge, but with love. I want him to fight for what he believes and knows is true, and when it comes to personal, one on one battles, I hope he prays for his enemies and trusts God enough to let Him deal with them in the long run. I pray for this little boy at the park, that his behavior and thus his life will be turned around by a loving adult who fears the Lord and teaches him to fear the Lord as well.
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