After the Story - Choices Like Rivers Episode 7
After the Story - Choices Like Rivers Episode 7
This podcast discusses each chapter of Choices Like Rivers and each episode is posted directly after the book episode. This corresponds to Chapter 3 Section 3.
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Molly Sue had been sent by her mother for a purpose. To send a 5 year old away for seemingly a long distance meant that there had to be a dire need.
We can assume that Molly Sue had never spent a night alone without her mother. All children no matter how well behaved or good natured struggle on the first night away from their parents, even if they know the caretaker such as a grandparent or friend.
Molly Sue was in a completely different environment with completely new people. I believe for the most part this well adjusted child handled things very well. But when fatigue and night fall hit the only natural desire is to need a parent.
Sharon has spent the evening after work still playing mom. Shopping and out doing things was living out her life long fantasy. True, it kept Molly Sue’s mind off of the situation and did help her get to know Sharon, but the activities were not for Molly Sue, but for Sharon. She was in heaven and relishing every minute of it.
Most 5 year olds take at least a short nap in the afternoon to recoup their energy. After the busy day and no nap, Molly Sue was exhausted physically, and I believe emotionally as well. In her little heart she instinctively knew she had failed at the task her mother had sent her on.
Raising a child has glorious swaths of fun and exciting times, but what the brochure on parenthood doesn’t tell you is just how incredibly hard many parts are. There are nights like what Sharon and Molly Sue just experienced as well as times of illness, or loss.
I don’t believe Sharon had considered the difficulties of parenthood. And she also sees that maybe what she perceived Molly Sue needing was not actually what she needed such as the cute new hard shoes.
Molly Sue had walked from wherever she came barefoot with only rags tied around her feet and didn’t seem to be hindered or hurt by it. For her being barefoot was normal. But what Sharon perceived as normal was having shoes on. So she imposed what she felt was important on Molly Sue, only to find that it hurt her more than helped her.
I think we all do that to a point. Each of us has a different perception and we are convinced that our perception is the correct and only perception. Because we see what we see we have great difficulty imagining anyone else having a different perception.
One day several years ago I was sitting in my kitchen where over my top cabinets I had black and white harlequin patterned wallpaper. I took my glasses off to clean them or rub my eyes or something and looked up at the wallpaper and it looked smack dab like black and white buffalo check.
I sat and squinted and looked and looked at it.Yes, it looked just like square buffalo check. My mind was trying to remember what it had looked like. I was questioning my memory of it being a harlequin (diamond) pattern.
Then when I put my glasses back on, sure enough, it was harlequin. I took my glasses off and put them back on a few times and it was the strangest thing.
Then I heard the Lord clearly say, “So much of life’s problems are because of perception and how a person sees things from their vantage point.” I realized we all need to see things through God’s spiritual and emotional glasses so that we all perceive things correctly.
When others have differing opinions than you, try and remember that their perception is because they are looking through a different lens than you. They may be seeing the tail of the coin while you are seeing the head of the coin. If we can remember this then I believe we can learn to communicate better.
At the police station are searching for the parents of a missing 5 year old girl. So, they are asking and seeking out someone recently missing their daughter. But Molly Sue’s story started long ago.
No parent is actively looking for her, so no amount of missing persons reports or tv petitions will produce what they are hoping to get, Molly Sue’s mother.
Children are resilient and Molly Sue even more so. She woke fresh to a new day while Sharon was reeling from the lack of sleep and change in routine. And she is getting in deeper and deeper with each new day.
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