Of Kings and Queens

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.