But They'll Laugh at Me!

I was helping my son get ready for school this morning when I noticed his shirt was a little wrinkled.  We had a few minutes before his bus came so I told him to hand me his shirt while he brushed his teeth.  My son handed me the shirt reluctantly and then insisted that he couldn't go to school without his shirt because the kids at school would laugh at him.  He was so concerned about being laughed at that it took me by surprise.  As I handed him his shirt and rushed him off to the bus, I felt a small seed of devastation in my heart.  Are kids at school laughing at my son?

My son has some learning differences  that cause him to speak and respond a little differently than others might find appropriate.  He is very emotional, demonstrative, busy, and easily frustrated.  On a good day, people might just write off his inattentiveness and assertiveness as "kids being kids", but on his bad days I get comments about putting him on medication.  I remember being a little kid that people laughed at.  As hard as I took it, I am concerned that he will take it much worse.  I realize now that it is at a critical time in his educational career because it is time to teach him, and show him,  how to work through the ridicule. 

I stopped to think today about all the instances where things were laughed at in the Bible, and I see a pattern. When people laughed at God's declarations and people, it was followed by an amazing show of the power of God.  Sarah laughed when she heard that she would have a baby, and then angel's rebuked her. She had Isaac at 90 years old.  The people in Noah's time laughed at him for about 40 years for building an ark, and then a flood came that wiped out the whole world.  Children laughed at the prophet Elijah's bald head, and then they were eaten by a bear.  Zechariah laughed when he heard that Elizabeth would have a child, and he was made mute until his son was born.  People laughed when Jesus said a girl who had died was just sleeping, and then he kicked them out and raised her up. 

The enemies of Israel laughed at Nehemiah when he started to rebuild the walls of his home until they saw him complete the task in record time.  Goliath laughed at David when he challenged the giant, and then David killed him with a stone and cut off his head with his own sword.  Moses was considered a joke for telling him to free the Israeli slaves in Egypt until the plagues took pharaoh's health and the life of his first born son. If these stories teach me anything it's that when people laugh at me for following God, a miracle is coming if I just hold on.  This is what I am teaching my son.  He may be different or even strange to others,but he is God's child. God has great things in store for his life if he just keeps doing his best and honoring God.

I wait in anticipation to see what God has in store for my son and all the children in this world who have scoffers.  God has saved seats at the table of your success for those who spoke ill of you, but they don't get a plate or cup. 

I and my son declare :He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies and my cup runs over (from Psalm 23)