The Saga Has Just Begun

We got a short note from our daughter tonight. Their computer is not connecting to the internet for some reason, so they have to go to John's parents place to use their computer. I don't like being out of touch like this. I am waaaay to used to instant, or almost instant, communication!

So, Stirling has finished two weeks of school.

The schoolwork has begun to come home. Kindergarten school work. The simple kind of schoolwork that every kindergarten kid does. As a matter of fact, my 3 kids were doing this particular kind of schoolwork well before they entered kindergarten. I bought them books for preschool stuff and we worked on it. Shoot - I sat at our little table in our little cabin out in the big forest of Alaska with Kara on my lap, drawing all sorts of shapes and coloring them in and talking to her about what they were. Big blue circles, little red triangles, medium sized yellow octagons. I did the same thing with Peter, in a different setting and for shorter periods of time because my dear older son never really liked to be held if he could get away. (True, Peter? True!) And I did the same thing with Andrew in a 3rd different setting while the two older kids played nearby, or Kara was in kindergarten.

I tried this with Stirling. I tried doing it in a variety of ways. I tried to have him sit on my lap - didn't work too well. He sat at a little table for about 5 seconds and then he was off running through the trees, Mandy (the faithful golden lab) at his heels. I finally discovered that if I just pointed to things as we rode along in the car, he would tell me what color, what shape, what they did and why at the drop of a hat, so to speak. I know that Kara and John also tried working with him in a more "scholastic" setting, and so did my mother. He refused to acknowledge that S's are S's and much more.

However, he was very, very interested in working with fingerpaint. No - he did not want to smear the paint around on the paper. He did not want to draw anything. He totally preferred to keep his little hands squeaky clean (haha - "clean" meaning covered in dirt, dog slobber and other assorted things that little boys who love to play outside have on their hands). No, I would put a dollop of paint on the paper, ask him what color it was, he'd answer correctly. Then I would put another dollop of paint on the paper, a different color. I'd ask, he'd answer. Then I would say: "What do yellow and red make?" He didn't know. We'd mix them together and make orange. But he might then answer me, when I asked what color it was, "What color do blue and yellow make?" or "What color do blue and red make?"

The key - he would refuse to answer what color the two mixed colors made. Just want to find out what the next experiment would produce. We did this 2 or 3 times while I was home. He loved it. Would drop whatever he was doing when he saw me get the fingerpaints out of the cupboard, up there on the VERY top shelf (gee - I wonder why they were up there? :> ).

Tonight we get a note from Kara. Stirling is bringing home unfinished schoolwork. The notes between parent and teach have begun and the first two weeks were not even finished.

Why is his schoolwork not finished? He refuses to do it. Even with a buddy helping him. Even with the teacher helping him. He colors the squares the color HE wants them to be.

Kara and John said at the end of the week he brought home one paper that was done perfectly. Now they will wait and see how the following week goes, checking to see if he really doesn't know the answers or if he is just being his own stubborn little self.

You know something? I love this child to pieces. Absolutely to pieces. I love his strong will. I love his stubborness. And I know he has a world of hurt ahead of him because the world does not love strong-willed people. And the world does not love stubborn people. And the Church does not like them either. The Church wants people who will conform to whatever they are teaching. Strong-willed stubborn people upset the applecart, challenge traditions, make more work for those in authority.

God loves stubborn people. God loves strong willed people. When GOD chooses these kinds of people, He moulds them and changes them and turns them into

Moses
and David
and Elijah
and Daniel
and Isaiah
and Jeremiah
and Peter
and Paul
and a host of martyrs who love Him enough to give their very lives to serve Him, live for Him and die for Him.

Oh, Father in Heaven! Mould this little boy, so stubborn and opinionated and strong-willed. Create in him a heart that wants to serve you, no matter what the cost. Create in him a will that doesn't care if serving you is popular or pleasing to those around him. Father, take this child and create a MAN out of him who will love you to his dying breath and for all eternity. Father, it's going to be a rough journey for him, so much rougher than it is for others. And I can see how it might take many turns that cause heartache for those who love him. Father, help us not to stop praying, help us to do what we need to do so he will grow into your man. He is a child of the covenant, Father. Look at him, and help us to remember that.