The Chalk Circle

I spent the day with my daughter-in-love.
We met in my favorite place of Amish buggies and farmland.
It happens to be one of her favorite places, too.
It is a halfway point between the two of us.

I had places I wanted to show her.
I had little shops I wanted to take her to see.
I wanted to take her to lunch as well.
We planned the day and put it on our calendars.

Any mother knows the fierce protection she feels towards her family.
A mother can be like a lioness when anyone threatens one of her children.
When her family begins to expand, the precious spouses of her children become family.
Her fierce protection extends to them as well.

It is amazing.
I thought about that as I drove to meet her.
I thought about when I taught my children with a chalk circle.
It was a way to teach them about including others.

I remember the day I drew a circle on the driveway with a piece of chalk.
The circle was drawn around my children who were standing there.
I stood on the outside of the circle.
How can I come in the circle? I asked them.

Jump over it, was one response.
Just walk in, was another.
You have given me suggestions that are about what I need to do, I reminded them.
What about you? I asked them.

They looked confused.
I rubbed a part of the chalk circle away with my foot.
Now there was an opening in the circle.
I still stood outside.

Well? I asked them trying to get them to figure it out.
Want to come in? One of them asked me.
I’d love to! I said with much too much enthusiasm.
Isn’t it nice when you make your circle bigger? I asked them trying to get them to think.

Marriage is a way God uses to make the family circle bigger.
With each marriage, a piece of that chalk circle was removed.
The spouses walked right in with warm embraces and lots of love awaiting them.
The circle keeps getting bigger.

We enjoyed our day together, stopping at little shops that piqued our interest.
We stopped to enjoy a street musician who was literally a one man band.
My daughter-in-love took a short video of the performer to send to her husband.
I knew my son would love the way this man played guitar and percussion effortlessly.

We talked as we enjoyed the pretty day together.
The last store we went to was a country store that both of us wanted to see.
This looks like your house, she said as she looked around at all the country items.
We each picked a few things that we were holding in our hands as we browsed.

I noticed that there were some upstairs rooms that we could see.
As I pointed that out to her, some children ran by us.
They were followed by their mother who did not seem too thrilled with them.
The mother threatened her son with punishment if he did, whatever it was, again.

That boy sat on the steps that we wanted to go up.
He had a defiant look in his eye.
Excuse me, I would like to get by, I said to him.
He rolled his eyes and sighed a loud sigh, as if it took all his energy to move for us.

I am counting to two, his mother said.
ONE, TWO, the boy said to his mother in a sarcastic tone.
We walked upstairs and I could hear more of the same banter on the steps below.
The mother was angry, and tired, and at a loss as to how to discipline her son.

Did you hear the way he talked to his mother? My daughter-in-love asked me.
Kids just seem to be so rude, she added.
Counting doesn’t work, I said to her.
Children learn that they can still do whatever they’re doing until you reach the number.

Children learn pretty quickly that their parent will really lose it by the number 10.
I can keep doing what I’m doing until at least the number 8, some children figure out.
A parent expects a child to obey the first time, not after they count to 10, or 2 in this case.
I wondered if the little boy was going to be punished as his mother said.

Parenting is hard work.
Parenting in public places can make you feel as if you are in a fish bowl.
Expectations should already be set so if they are not obeyed, consequences follow.
Rudeness and talking back is never acceptable.

But in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you  to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15,16)

What do we sound like when we don’t think anyone is within earshot to hear us?
What is our attitude like around those with whom we are most familiar?
How well do we obey our Heavenly Father?
Do we obey Him the first time, or do we hope that He will count to 10?

Maybe the attitude of others affects us because it reminds us of what we are capable of doing.
Maybe we notice the rolled eyes and sarcastic tone because we have done that from time to time.
Maybe we have been rude.
Maybe we sigh when we are asked to do even the smallest thing.

Kids just seem to be so rude.
Yes, we are!
We are children of God made in His image.
How well do we represent our Heavenly Father in public?

God the Father uses the family to teach us about Himself and the way He loves us.
We discipline our children and God disciplines us.
We struggle to obey and often have a poor attitude about things.
I have been that little boy on the steps and so have you.

God’s delight is to make the Circle bigger.
Believing in Jesus opens a piece of the Circle.
Jesus calls us in.
We are not standing outside any longer.

Amen.

2 responses to “The Chalk Circle”

1. A great reminder that our manners toward God are as important as our manners expressed toward those around us. Everyday is a day filled with abundant grace from God, cleansing us from our rude behavior, as long as we let Him into our circle. I pray that my life circle may have many open spaces.

   Reply

   • Alissa,
     That lesson I taught my children all those years ago was as much for me as it was for them. I, too, pray that my circle is pleasing to God, my Father. It is a lesson we are all still trying to live out this side of heaven by His grace alone.
     Gina

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