Doug E. Pudge

I Don't Want To Leave Kindergarten

You know, I was thinking. I am going to skip the normal Friday feast because the last time I did an ode to something it resulted in a week long tribute to my life. Instead I want to share with you something that happened last evening. I had the opportunity to spend some time with the lovely Christian school teacher from Waterford. After visiting her mother and going to dinner, we attended the kindergarten graduation for Waterford Christian Academy. It really was a cute evening that included everything that you would expect from 5 year olds. First of all these kids are really cool. I love to watch children performing. They are either frightened to death or they are the biggest ham you'll ever see. A couple of specific things happened that I want to pass along to you. The first one was that there was this little boy who decided that half way through the program that he needed to go down and get a hug from his mommy! That was cute and it made me think. You know, sometimes a person just needs a hug. A hug represents love, affection, warmth, peace and security. Don't all of us need that once in awhile?

The other thing that happened was at the end of the program. There were two little girls crying. They had very different reasons for their tears. The first one was crying because she didn't get any awards at all! This was heartbreaking to her and very difficult for her to understand. Now, from my understanding this child had the opportunity to earn several different awards but did not do the things necessary to earn one. Aren't all of us like that sometimes? We don't really give our best efforts but want to be recognized as if we did. I know that I have been down this road before. Then, when we don't get recognized we either become angry, hurt or discouraged! It is hard to accept the fact that we are the ones responsible.

The second little girl was in tears because she didn't get to be in kindergarten anymore! She has done such a good job that she gets to go to first grade now! She likes kindergarten though! She loves her teacher! It makes no sense to her why she has to go to first grade now when kindergarten must be the greatest thing ever invented. I know that I definitely fall into this category. When it is time to grow and move forward in life it can be difficult! We have just gotten comfortable with our current state of being and then......................BAM! We are forced to grow. That's just no fun.................................at first. Just as any adult could see the need for a child to go forward in their education (you can't stay in kindergarten forever), God expect His children to grow and go forward in their lives. You just cannot stay where you are and still please the father and have a richly blessed life. God doesn't not want his children to remain with the elementary teachings that brought us to salvation, but rather God wants us to grow and move forward. He wants us to be mature (complete). He wants us to learn to love and serve one another. He doesn't want us to stay in kindergarten forever!

Where are you at today? I hope you can say that you have allowed the Father to challenge you and to help you to grow beyond where you were last year! Growth can be painful, but it is always worth it! Be blessed beyond belief today.

posted by Doug E. Pudge @ 8:11 AM