Saturday, September 9, 2017

Exceptional Maturity

September 9, 2017

Last night as we went around the table with our highs and lows of the day, Madeline’s high was serving the winning goal for her school volleyball team. This was a big deal! Of her many qualities, the most endearing is Madeline’s tender heart. She’s great with little kids, is thoughtful and kind. Sports is another matter. She isn’t particularly enamored with softball or soccer, likes her jujitsu, but really took to volleyball. It’s her first season, which is what made today’s incident so significant.

Today was History Days in Sinclairville, an annual small town celebration including a small town parade with requisite fire trucks, tractors, Cub Scouts and Brownies. The village common was filled with vendors selling everything from crafts to taffy, candy apples, and Italian sausages, and a couple of western bands. There were also a couple bounce houses for the kids, one of which was a bungee run. This particular amusement consists of three lanes with a long bungee cord attached to the bounce house on one end, and to the kid on the other end. Each participant runs as fast and far as they can before the bungee cord yanks them off their feet and pulls them back down the lane. It’s all enclosed in inflated lanes so no one can get hurt. Theoretically. 


I had just finished cleaning my truck when I got the call to come to the village commons. Madeline was hurt. It was the bungee run. When she reached the end and the bungee yanked her back, she landed on her left elbow, causing a compression fracture of her humerus. So much for volleyball. But it’s her attitude that impresses me. “I think God let me serve the winning goal yesterday because he knew this was going to happen today,” was her line of thinking. She’s sad she won’t be able to play volleyball, but has a perspective that puts many adults to shame. She’s seeing the blessing in the buffeting, and in the process, is teaching this old preacher a lesson or two, not the least of which is to be thankful for such a mature twelve-year old granddaughter.

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