Wednesday, October 24, 2007
CONFESSIONS OF A PREACHER'S SON
While Lea and I were watching the Cowboys play football this past Sunday, Cooper was playing a video game in his room. Every now and then Lea and I could hear Cooper getting a little mad at the game he was playing. I had already told him once, "If it's going to make you that mad, you need to just turn it off."A few minutes later he came into the living room walking slowly, head lowered and shoulders sagging. That was so different than his usual 100 mph pace. With a sad look on his face he looked up at his mom and confessed, "Mom, I just said a bad word."
"Why did you say a bad word?" Lea asked.
Now unwilling to make eye contact and almost whispering from shame, "I got mad at my game," Cooper said.
"Cooper, I'd like to know what it is that you said," his momma replied.
At this point I'm cutting my eyes around to see if I can hear the word he said. I'm thinking to myself, "He's too young to know any cuss words." I even got a little angry as I thought to myself, "He better not have learned this word from his big brothers!!!"
"I don't think I want to repeat it out loud," Cooper said.
"Then just whisper it in my ear," Lea said.
He leaned in close and whispered something in his mother's ear. I strained to hear. Then he looked up at her to see her reaction. Lea gave him that sweet motherly smile that said, "It's going to be alright" and then told him, "It's okay, but how about we not use those bad words anymore." And off he went back to the room feeling better after his confession.
He wasn't even out of the room good before I was saying, "What did he say?" thinking of the worst.
Then Lea smiled and said, "He said he called the game a 'stinking idiot.'"
Oh, how I wish my heart was still that tender.
"And Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." ~ Matthew 18:3
Labels: Christian Living, Family
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28 Comments:
My boys favorite word is poop. Of course, I have boys who are 6, 4, and 18 months. They think the word is so funny. We are trying to get them to stop saying the word. I know there are worst words they could be saying. Trey, thanks for saying this story with us. He is precious.
I wish my heart was still that tender, too.
:)
Peace
Neva
That is so funny. it amazing how different kids think, how kids don't distinguish the difference in words, but us as adults have the tendency to think that there are worsts things. I wish we all acted more like little kids. Thanks for sharing this. Jenna is starting to say more words, and trying to make a sentence, and that is one of my fears. I am trying to make sure that she won't hear or learn those words. Have a good Trey.
that's cute
brian
Made me smile and wish, as you did, that my heart was still that tender!
Thanks for sharing!
Trey,
Any idea on how to get my boys on how to stop saying poop? I don't like spanking, yelling, or time outs. Any other creative ideas to get them to stop saying poop?
I'm thinking stinking idiot is as good as bad words can get. Once, my Kooper, came home from school and said that he had learned the F word from his friend at school. So me, thinking my little angelic child is thinking, f*r* is a bad word did just as Lea did. "Come tell Mommy what the F word is in my ear." Then a loud shreak came from my mouth. My child had just dropped the F BOMB in my ear!! I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Or cry. One or the other. Or both! So....I'm thinking stinkin idiot sounds really sweet!!!
P.S. I can't believe I just told you that story!!
Please don't think of the F BOMB every time you see Koop!LOL!
When the preacher at the small bilingual group at our church was preaching on Ecclesiastes, he said, "The writer says that all the things of this world are STUPID." A little voice called out, "Mom! He said 'stupid'." We all got a kick out of that.
Grace and peace,
Tim
Preacherman - Poop's actually a cool word. Much better than the word Cooper learned from his big brothers. He told his mom, "Mom, I got to go take a dump." I had to have a talk with the big brothers after that one.
Andre - Jenna's like a sponge. She'll learn things from you and Kim. So be careful what you teach her :)
Amy - Wow, he did learn the "f-word." Learning is one thing ... using regularly is another. I can see your jaw hit the floor.
Tim - Good story.
to have a tender heart again would be nice.
What a great story! That was also very brave of him to tell on himself. Pretty good indicator that the two of you have given that boy the blessing of a conscience.
I will never forget the time that Ashlynn was devastated that the preacher said the "s" word in the sermon. I new that we were not at the most conservative church in the world, but I think that I would have noticed that part of the sermon. I finally convinced her that she could repeat it to me in my ear.
STUPID
That's when we decided that there were "bad words" and "just not so nice to call other people words".
Thanks for sharing that fun story!
Trey - the innocence of a child... Don't we all wish we could have that still in our spiritual walk. I think at times if we had it we would be more obedient or even more willing to serve the Lord whole heartedly.. Have a good week man.. and the next time you come in the newspaper and act like you don't know me....we might need to have a little talk.. ha..
I think I've played that game before, and I doubt my language was as honorable as Coop's.
It is awesome to hear of people who still take Jesus' Sermon on the Mount instructions on the evil of hateful speech seriously.
in HIS love,
Nick
PS - My third mom's most hated phrase is "Shut up." She requires, to this day, that all her kids say, "Please be quiet." I'm learning a lot from her.
Your blog read does give me a new perspective thanks brother. I appreciate it. Poop is pretty cool considering. :-)
What a great story and what a tender heart! I, too, wish my heart were as tender. He is, however, ready to drive in Southern California!!
The words I said at his age resulted in my mother washing my mouth out with a soapy rag.
One of my "by-words" has been "Dad gummit" which I suppose my daughter thought was profanity. Little did she know I could use much worse words than that. But one day in Sunday School when she was a toddler, the teacher (my church secretery) was teaching the children not to use bad words. My daughter said, "My daddy cusses around our house all the time." My cuss word was "Dad gummit!"
Greg, U just got a soapy rag,
we got the whole bar of soap!
it is sad to know these days a 3 year old can know more cuss words, them some grownups do!
Once my dh was teaching a "Pewpackers" class. He asked a small boy, "Chad, who made the world?" Chad replied, "You're not going to get me to say that word." Apparently he had already used "that word" in an inappropriate way, and really remembered what his mother said. ;-)
I quit playing golf because it made me say bad words, so I can feel for Cooper...
Whoa, whoa. I think we're missing the point. Your wife watches football with you? Awesome.
(I was at Texas Stadium for that game, by the way. FUN.)
Alan ... I'm a blessed man. She does the second point on my last post very well.
Trey: Don't say a bad word if you don't get to put your tree up early.
Actually David .... it's beginning to look A LOT like Christmas. The numbers in the poll are in my favor.
That absolutely made my day. Kids are to cute. Glad his brothers have not taught him anything.
I just ask that ya'll pray for the community of Pepperdine as well as Malibu for what the fire has done. I am finally going home today after staying at a friends house for 3 days. The fire was right across the street from my apartment but with God's grace nothing happened. Pepperdine had minor damage but luckily, it was just landscape and 3 Pepperdine vehicles.
-Tiffany
My first reaction: Trey and his wife must be cool parents if their kids have the guts to talk about the issues and mistakes they've made.
Trey - You and your wife must be doing a great job. That's cool that your son came out and ratted on himself. It says a lot about you and your wife's character. Great story. Thanks for sharing
Jeremy
such a sweet little guy!! he is the most adorable thing.
Tiff - I've worried about you. Glad you're okay.
Jeremy - thanks for the kind words. I'm sure that any teenager would tell you that the words "cool" and "parents" don't belong in the same sentence.
Kim - Jenna will be saying things like that soon.
Trey,
I know how little ones can come up with the ugly words or what they think is "dirty" words but you can't help but to laugh sometimes.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
I heard about you promoting spousal abuse...when you told Lee to punch me in the arm. Just remember revenge is sweet. LOL!
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