Kelli Gotthardt
  • Home
  • Unlikely Rebel
  • Speaking
  • About
  • Contact

Author.speaker.Consultant

Of Kings and Queens

9/25/2014

1 Comment

 
Today I sat in on a high school assembly.  This may be an obvious point, but can we take a moment to thank God we're not in high school any more?  Unless, of course, you are in high school.  Then, hey--don't worry, it'll be over soon.  But this is not my point.  Tomorrow evening is the homecoming football game and this was part of the week-long festivities.  A thousand awkward teenagers (with a dozen or so freakishly attractive adolescents mixed in just to make everyone else feel the weight of their inferiority) were jammed onto the gym bleachers.  There was a drum line, perky cheerleaders, a balloon arch and the necessary grunting football players standing off to the side.  They would have their time, but event began with the speeches from the homecoming king and queen candidates.
Which is why I was sitting in this hormone laboratory in the first place.  Our son, Cade, is one of these candidates. Yep.  I'm a proud mom.  This kid, who moved from Arizona in the middle of his freshman year has done the difficult work of acclimating to a new culture while remaining true to who he is through arguably, some of the most confusing years of life.   This is no small feat and I'm taking this moment to soak in the reality that as his childhood and adolescence winds down, he's entering adulthood having already weathered some character building seasons.  
I remember my counselor telling me how hard it is to develop faith in our kids because it requires that we allow them to be in situations that build faith.  It's much easier to rescue and protect our kids than to entrust them to God or allow them to fall and fail.  I'm not talking about negligence or laziness (although I probably over-spiritualized my refusal to assist on science fair projects).   I mean the disciplined, soul-wrenching work of learning when to intervene and when to let them fall.  And then trusting something good can come out of your mistakes.   
That's what I saw today.  A man who is growing in character and faith.  A man who is learning to be gracious in adversity and affirmation.  The young man (and I use that term loosely) who gave his speech before Cade apparently mistook the assignment as a roast of all the other candidates and, I have to admit,  my mama feathers were riled when he took a verbal jab at my son.  When I asked Cade about it after school he just laughed.  He hadn't been offended at all.  Which is the problem with kids growing up--sometimes they're better at being adults than we are.  
This afternoon, the votes are being counted and tomorrow night the announcement will be made and the 2014 Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned.  Cade may or may not win, but both of us will be fine no matter the outcome.  I have so much respect for him and I couldn't be prouder.  Of course, I have an advantage over him.  I know that in the scheme of life, homecoming court successes fade quickly.  But Cade is teaching me that perseverance in the ups and downs of the daily grind will always be rewarded.  Maybe not in being king for a day, but in the kind of life that matters.  
1 Comment

    About Kelli

    Kelli is a writer, speaker and consultant equipping leaders for a deepening intimacy with Christ, greater impact in ministry and more effective intentionality in all of life.
    Read More >>

    Picture

    Speaking

    Book Kelli for your next event or retreat.
    Find Out More >>

    Subscribe to Kelli's Blog. Enter your email address:

    Archives

    April 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    January 2011

    Categories

    All
    Advent
    Adversity
    Anger
    Authority
    Awards
    Barbie
    Beauty
    Brain Chemistry
    Busyness
    Choices
    Community Of Women Strength And Beauty
    Delight
    Dependance
    Difficulty
    Discipline
    Dreams
    Elijah
    Failure
    Faithfulness
    Family
    Fear
    Foolishness
    Forgiveness
    Funerals
    Graduation
    Gratitude
    Growing Pains
    Guatemala
    Happiness
    Hearing God
    Heart
    Holy Spirit
    Home Improvement
    Idols
    Imperfection
    Introverts
    Jesus
    Katy Perry
    Love
    Miracles
    New Year
    New Year
    Obvious Observations
    Painting
    Parenting
    Peace
    Pondering
    Prayer
    Precious
    Productivity
    Reformed
    Rejection
    Repentance
    Ridiculousness
    Running
    Sabbath
    School
    Slowing Down
    Social Justice
    Spiritual Disciplines
    Time Management
    Transitions
    Trials
    Voice
    Whales
    Wish List
    Worship

Blog
About
Contact


Speaking
  Keynote Speaker
  Retreats
  Request Speaking Information
Copyright 2013 Kelli Gotthardt
Internet Strategy by Connection Point Interactive
  • Home
  • Unlikely Rebel
  • Speaking
  • About
  • Contact