Little stuff?

Last week, Warren came home from school and told me he had received an infraction.  When I questioned him about what happened, he told me that a friend of his "tempted" him.  He and his friend walked down the hall to the bathroom.  On the way back, his friend "tempted him" to hide behind a column, rather than walk straight down the sidewalk back to class.  "Mom, I knew it was wrong.  But, he tempted me."

I once heard someone say "Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what.  If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff."

So, I listened.  I listened to the little stuff.  I listened to him tell me how he felt conflicted because part of him knew it was wrong to hide.  But, part of him wanted to stick with his friend.  I listened to him and I held him as he cried, telling me he knew he should've just walked back to class.  We talked about how strong you have to be to do what you know is right, even when your friends try to get you to do what is wrong.  

Little stuff?  Yes.  But wow!  Will that ever pave the way for the big stuff I'm sure we'll encounter in the not so far off future.  

I tucked Warren in and as we said his prayers that night, we asked God to help him be strong and make the right decisions, even when it's not easy.  And when I climbed into my own bed and said my own prayers, I prayed for Warren, too.  That God would help him to be strong.  But, more importantly, I thanked God that (so far) my boys feel comfortable talking to me about the "little stuff."  I thanked Him for putting the "little stuff" in my life to help prepare me for the "big stuff."