Heavy heart...

You always know as a parent that days like these are going to come. But you never expect them at the moment they do come and you can't know what to do until you are in the middle of it...

I got a call (again) from Gabe's school. It was the gym teacher, whom we know from church, relaying to me what had just happened with Gabe at recess. Apparently, three boys with whom Gabe has been playing with regularly at recess decided to gang up on him and ask him to go "beat up" a little girl whom they were accusing of taking their popcorn money. So Gabe did what they asked. Luckily the recess aides saw the whole thing and intervened very quickly and the little girl was not hurt.

I cannot even begin to explain how I feel at this moment. Astonished that my son would actually think it is ok to follow through with such a thing. Appalled that boys this young would do such a thing and 1. pick on a kid they know will do what they say and be the one to get in trouble and 2. go after a little girl. My heart is broken that Gabe was picked on. I have no idea what is the right way to handle this once he gets home...I have never been in this position before. I know we need to teach our son the right way to stand up for himself and not give in to peer pressure. But at the age of 7?? I think that is what is so unbelievable to me. So here we stand again, asking God for wisdom and grace to walk through what is sure to be many more years of teaching our children how to be godly in a very ungodly world. I honestly don't know what makes me more mad...that Gabe was picked on because of his "differences" or that Gabe disobeyed what he knows is right. Appropriate it is that every time my phone rings and it is the school that the ring sings "I need you Jesus to come to my rescue! Where else can I go?"