A Hard Lesson to Learn

Michael and I are so proud and humbled by our sweet Anna.  She's been struggling with a mistake she made and she took the tough road to make it right.  A few days ago after our bedtime devotions, Anna shared with Michael that she had cheated on the Standard Achievement Test that she and the rest of her kindergarten class took 3 weeks ago.  The word "cheat" is a bit of a stretch because she didn't change any of her answers but she did look at someone else's paper and to her that was cheating.  Michael explained to her, as I did the next day when she told me, all of the consequences that go along with cheating... possible wrong answers, getting caught while doing it, the guilt of knowing you did it, etc.  She apologized to Michael and I and asked God for forgiveness and we left it at that.  Michael and I both thought that the matter had been laid to rest.  However, this past Tuesday night while eating her bedtime snack, she asked me if she could tell her teacher Mrs. Haines what she did.  I asked her if she felt like she needed to and she said "yes".  So, I promised her that I would go to her classroom with her the next day to talk with her teacher.


I emailed Mrs. Haines that night to give her a "heads up" about what Anna wanted to share with her and what we had already discussed with her.  I wasn't sure if she would still want to talk to Mrs. Haines the next day but courageously, she did.  I walked her to her classroom and I could tell she was nervous.  Her face was red and she was a bit shaky.  She wanted to hold my hand and be right by my side.  Mrs. Haines came out in the hallway and Anna couldn't even get her first word out before the tears started pouring down her cheeks.  Through lots of sobbing she told Mrs. Haines that she had cheated on her achievement test and that she was sorry.  It was ALL I COULD DO to keep my emotions in check!  I was so proud of her and at the same time so heartbroken for her.  It is so hard to see your child so broken and I never expected that we would deal with this with a 5 year old!  Mrs. Haines handled it incredibly well, reassuring her that she was forgiven and that she did the right thing by telling us.  She applauded her for not changing her answers and was overall very encouraging. 

I am amazed at how tender Anna's heart is even though we've been praying for this before she was even born.  She was very convicted about her poor choice and that brings me great joy because that tells me that she knows the difference between right and wrong and also, like she tells me often, that Jesus lives in her heart.  Those are the most wonderful words to hear your child say!  We are so proud of Miss Anna and so greatful that God is working in her heart even at the tender, young age of 5.  I pray that He continues to give us the wisdom we need to teach her and Audrey and Noah what it means to live for Him daily for the rest of their lives.