Yesterday, my 12 year old daughter got in the car and said, "My phone had been accidentally or purposefully taken."
My daughter has a G2. Her phone is fancier and schmancier than mine because we got a buy one get one deal when my hub upgraded to a MyTouch 4G (yes, that's fancier and schmancier than mine as well but I digress...)
She wasn't in tears when she told me.
She factually recounted the events.
Explained the school's policy for reporting lost/stolen items.
...and quietly awaited my response.
I didn't grill her
I didn't yell
I didn't even sigh (even I was amazed at that)
I was rather 'matter-of-fact' in my tone but my kids have learned that's not a judgement, that's just the way it is.
I called our carrier and suspended her services...just in case... and inquired about replacement cost for the phone under our current insurance policy, "$130.00 ma'am."
Exhale.
me: "I'm not angry"
lil b: "I AM!"
me: "I mean I'm not angry with you, I'm not happy with the situation but not with you"
lil b: "I know"
me: "Replacing the phone will cost $130.00. We have 60 days to make the insurance claim. For now, we'll wait and see if someone turns it in or if someone inadvertantly picked it up with their gym clothes. If its not returned, we'll get a new sim card for your old phone and discuss options for replacing this one."
lil b: "ok"
me: "...and we definitely can pray...that it be returned, that the person who has it realizes their mistake, or that the person who winds up with it really needed it more than we do"
That was it
I didn't lecture
I didn't stew
I didn't remind her to be more responsible
or any other thing that parents do
Two months ago we had another scenario where I mentioned "talking to God" about it.
She very matter of factly said, "God doesn't answer me when I pray, not like He does you, Mom."
*lump in throat*
the God-doesn't-answer-prayers conversation.
and she cut me off
"yeah yeah I know...sometimes He answers in ways we don't recognize and sometimes he just says no"
We haven't had a home church in about a year.
Our kids weren't being fed as kids where we were most in synch spiritually...and so began the story of church hopping. Mom fits in anywhere...that's just me...but when you're a teenager, well not so easy...and when you're a watcher/quiet/reserved one like my hub...well not so easy there either.
Lil B mentioned that. My kids practially GREW UP in the church from ages 5 to 10. I worked there, I ran several evening programs, everyone knew them it just seemed natural...and then
*cricket, cricket*
So we still don't have a home church
but even before lil b mentioned our lack of tangible spiritual practice I had decided it was time for me to start going again. Even if no one else went with me, even if it didn't synch with me spiritually, I needed the discipline of going.
And so I went
And so did she
And the hub came once two
(and it's only been 3 weeks)
Yesterday a $400+ phone went missing
I suggested we pray
We went on with our day
shared a family meal at Tijuana Flats for Taco Tuesdaze (which everyone should do)
and my hub's phone rang
"My husband works for insert-name-of-school-here and found a phone. I found your number in it and called to let you know we have it"
HALLELUJAH!
The blessing before the meal included praise and thanksgiving on all counts.
And dinner conversation revolved around how awesome it was that the people called to tell us and planned to return it. It didn't matter what happened to the phone between 10:30am and 7:30pm on 2/22, what mattered is that God answered a prayer.
More than one :)
Mine AND hers
and mine wasn't about the phone!
We sent a thank you note with a small token of our appreciation.
My thanks were for the action that allowed my daughter to see that God has her in his sights!
Amen
My daughter has a G2. Her phone is fancier and schmancier than mine because we got a buy one get one deal when my hub upgraded to a MyTouch 4G (yes, that's fancier and schmancier than mine as well but I digress...)
She wasn't in tears when she told me.
She factually recounted the events.
Explained the school's policy for reporting lost/stolen items.
...and quietly awaited my response.
I didn't grill her
I didn't yell
I didn't even sigh (even I was amazed at that)
I was rather 'matter-of-fact' in my tone but my kids have learned that's not a judgement, that's just the way it is.
I called our carrier and suspended her services...just in case... and inquired about replacement cost for the phone under our current insurance policy, "$130.00 ma'am."
Exhale.
me: "I'm not angry"
lil b: "I AM!"
me: "I mean I'm not angry with you, I'm not happy with the situation but not with you"
lil b: "I know"
me: "Replacing the phone will cost $130.00. We have 60 days to make the insurance claim. For now, we'll wait and see if someone turns it in or if someone inadvertantly picked it up with their gym clothes. If its not returned, we'll get a new sim card for your old phone and discuss options for replacing this one."
lil b: "ok"
me: "...and we definitely can pray...that it be returned, that the person who has it realizes their mistake, or that the person who winds up with it really needed it more than we do"
That was it
I didn't lecture
I didn't stew
I didn't remind her to be more responsible
or any other thing that parents do
Two months ago we had another scenario where I mentioned "talking to God" about it.
She very matter of factly said, "God doesn't answer me when I pray, not like He does you, Mom."
*lump in throat*
the God-doesn't-answer-prayers conversation.
and she cut me off
"yeah yeah I know...sometimes He answers in ways we don't recognize and sometimes he just says no"
We haven't had a home church in about a year.
Our kids weren't being fed as kids where we were most in synch spiritually...and so began the story of church hopping. Mom fits in anywhere...that's just me...but when you're a teenager, well not so easy...and when you're a watcher/quiet/reserved one like my hub...well not so easy there either.
Lil B mentioned that. My kids practially GREW UP in the church from ages 5 to 10. I worked there, I ran several evening programs, everyone knew them it just seemed natural...and then
*cricket, cricket*
So we still don't have a home church
but even before lil b mentioned our lack of tangible spiritual practice I had decided it was time for me to start going again. Even if no one else went with me, even if it didn't synch with me spiritually, I needed the discipline of going.
And so I went
And so did she
And the hub came once two
(and it's only been 3 weeks)
Yesterday a $400+ phone went missing
I suggested we pray
We went on with our day
shared a family meal at Tijuana Flats for Taco Tuesdaze (which everyone should do)
and my hub's phone rang
"My husband works for insert-name-of-school-here and found a phone. I found your number in it and called to let you know we have it"
HALLELUJAH!
The blessing before the meal included praise and thanksgiving on all counts.
And dinner conversation revolved around how awesome it was that the people called to tell us and planned to return it. It didn't matter what happened to the phone between 10:30am and 7:30pm on 2/22, what mattered is that God answered a prayer.
More than one :)
Mine AND hers
and mine wasn't about the phone!
We sent a thank you note with a small token of our appreciation.
My thanks were for the action that allowed my daughter to see that God has her in his sights!
Amen
