Jailbreak

 There was a bit of a jail break on the playground today.  

I answered the distress call that six kindergarteners had gone rogue and the teacher was at her breaking point.  When I arrived I gathered them all.  This did include wrestling the stuck from the ringleader so he could no longer hit me with it and holding his hand for group safety.  

Their teacher took the rest back to class and I quickly surveyed my crew and explained to them that leaving the school grounds was not safe and we were going to practice lining up quickly when the whistle blew.

They ran to the grass and then back to the sidewalk a few times on my signal.  Well - 3 of them did.  Then number 4 and 5 joined in.  

One little girl's eyes welled up with tears as she said, "I'm so disappointed in me."

I crouched down and explained that it doesn't feel good to know that you did something you knew wasn't okay, but that we believe in second chances.  I told her that if she could  line up one more time to show me she knew what was right, then she would start to feel better.  She raced back to the line and  threw her arms around my neck and exclaimed, "My heart is healing."

There are a variety of lessons that could be learned from the other kids but my back is still sore from climbing the equipment to retrieve the little leader.  Suffice it to say that they were all rebelling for different reasons.  Most importantly was the fact that they are 5 and 6 and still learning.  But oh how their learning can be exhausting for us all!

All of us have at some points in time done what we knew wasn't okay and felt the pain of self-incrimination.  That feeling of guilt is meant to bring us down unto repentance and then be remembered no more. (Alma 42:29). 

We do have to face the consequences but the Savior is patiently waiting for us to confess and make it right.  He is offering us the ability to have our hearts healed too.    It really is that simple.