A Mothers Heart

Today, we met with a parent about the possibility of changing her daughter from full time inclusion to part time and doing more resource support for the next 6 weeks to determine if she would be able to learn to read.

She is 18 years old. She can't read. And this year, we had to retain her in sixth grade knowing that if we moved her forward, she would only continue to get farther and farther behind. Sixth grade. Zero literacy. She was heartbroken and cried for an entire week. And I look at her and I want to cry too. She has lost her drive to learn.

When Stanley and I met with the mom, she faced the reality of her daughters future realistically, but the blame was placed solely on the shoulders of her daughter. For twenty minutes, she went on and on about how difficult her daughter is...how she disrespects her in the house...how she has given up on her learning...

And so I asked the question, "What do you see in your daughter that is good?"

Another twenty minutes passed with another diatribe on the negative traits of her daughter. Not one positive word. Not one single example. Nothing.

And so, I spoke what I saw. Her gentle spirit. Her quiet leadership. Her passion for fashion. Her love for her siblings.

And then I asked again, "What do YOU see in your daughter that is good?"

And she still couldn't.

So, Stanley asked me to give a vision for what I thought her daughter could do in the future. So, I did my best to set a future before her mom...to set forth a world of possibilities for what she could be capable of doing...

And when I looked up, I saw tears streaming down the mom's face.

She talked about how she never had the opportunity for school. She had struggled and suffered and sacrificed so many things in her life. And I saw in those tears the hurt that she for felt for not having those opportunities herself. And I understood that the negative things she saw in her daughter...they were really the things she saw in herself.

And then she said that she was ready to do what it took to give her daughter a chance. Speaking into her future. Encouraging the possibilities. Provide the opportunity.

I am praying that she doesn't give up. Her daughter needs hope. And I can try to give it to her. And Stanley and her teachers can speak into her life. But, she needs to see the hope of Christ...the hope for her life...through her mom. She needs to be believed in. 

So, we prayed for her mom before she left and all we can do is trust that that sweet moment perhaps will bring some change for this mom and her daughter...and that God will heal and mend and repair relationship...and that hope will restored.