We are at an interesting point in our lives as a family.  Walter is in second grade and he is beginning to be picked on more and more.  And so our parenting takes an interesting turn.  What to do?  How much should he endure, when to step in?

A boy after God's own heart at such a young and tender age, he is already a powerful warrior for the kingdom of heaven.  He has such a grasp on the spiritual realm and asks many questions with a desire to know more...should it surprise us that he is already under attack?  Satan is throwing his arrows already...trying to make Walter feel that he is ugly, not smart, not good at things...when indeed he is a beautiful kid with incredible intelligence and it's not just "mom" that sees it.  The teachers and staff at his school sing his praises, what a great kid he is, how smart, how much fun he is, etc.

I understand that we need to go through trials in order to deepen our faith and our depence on God.  I know that I can't come to his rescue all the time and that he needs to be strengthened by his life's experiences.  But when is enough...enough?
That is what we will have to pray about and seek the Lord's wisdom for.
Does he finally have enough and defend himself with a push back?  Do we homeschool him?  How much rescuing should a parent do?

It left me searching my heart for what I know is true.  Even God had to watch his Son go through trial after trial.  He SENT Jesus here to go through trials and be tortured, laughed at, ridiculed....for US!
How great the Father's love for us!

When I hear reports from Walter on how some of the kids are treating him, it makes me want to go kick some kid's butt.  A part of me is so angry, like a mother lioness about to pounch.

Then I think of God.  How God watched as men laughed at, bullied, killed the King of Kings!  They ridiculed the One who left his place in heaven to come down for THEM!  How God watched that and didn't scoop up his Son, embrace Jesus with loving arms and then pour out his wrath on the wicked earth with a huge flood again.  How amazing!

And so God knows my pain.  He knows it very well.  He knows it PERFECTLY.
And I believe He, as He did with his own Son Jesus, is sad to see it happen to Walter, to anyone.
We are strangers to this earth- this is not our home.  And we will have lives filled with difficulty, with pain.  But, right around the corner...is the finish line to our hard race. 
Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, at our finish line,  He was bullied, He's been through it all and then some.  And He is waiting for us to come home...excited to say "Welcome Home" ...where we truly belong.