Today my son and I had dentist appointments. I told him that I would take him to lunch afterward. So true to his child/boy instincts, he chose McDonalds. We ordered and sat down. About halfway through our meal a mother with 3 children, (probably about 8, 10 & 12) came with their tray of food and sat at the table next to ours. They had 4, $1 sandwiches, a large fry which were split 4 ways and 2 small drinks that were also to be shared.
As they opened the sandwiches the littlest girl saw that her food was not what she ordered. They had asked for them plain. So the mother very calmly, collected the sandwiched and took them back up to the counter. She came back to the table with 4 fresh sandwiches. The children asking her what had happened. The mother was saying she was disappointed in the service. They were rude to her telling her that she must have forgotten to tell them. I noticed something about her though. As she told them what she thought was wrong with the situation, she never got angry. She never acted entitled. She just took the opportunity to explain to her children how it should of been handled. Saying things like "If you ever have a costumer that comes to you..." Or "As an employee serving the public you should always make them feel..."
This woman totally blew me away. Her children were polite and sweet. Waiting patiently. Offering to serve one another. Truly enjoying the time they had together.
As my son and I got up to throw our trash away I stopped at her table and told her how blessed I was by seeing her deal with this situation. I also made sure to preface it by saying I wasn't trying to be a creepy stalker by listening into their conversation. I told her how refreshing it is to see a mom with such grace. That I had been blessed and encouraged by her.
She smiled and said, "Well, I can tell that you are a good mom. You wouldn't have noticed my actions if you yourself didnt practice them."
I do want to be a mother of grace. To be totally truthful this is more rare than I would like to admit. Often the MOMMY MONSTER rears its ugly head. I feel like I have the right to be angry. Why? Well my child was disrespectful. My husband didn't act in the way I thought he should. I felt trapped. I was tired. You know the list can go on and on.
I could tell by this woman's children that she has shown LOTS of grace. How? Her children were gracious.
This also made me think of the verses in Proverbs 31. 25-26 She is clothed with strength and dignity; She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She was a proverbs 31 mom. Just like I strive to be.
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