Park Princess
I have always been a sucker for theme parks. Screaming children. Overpriced food. A 90-minute wait for a 30-second ride. Blazing heat. What’s not to love? Growing up in Florida, theme parks were a big part of my childhood. I’ve tried to give my own children some of those experiences and memories as well. One recent trip, however, will not be making the family scrapbook.
Last spring break, we decided to go to Busch Gardens. While my nine-year-old son was thrilled, my adolescent daughter was convinced it was a plot to make her life completely miserable. We had a fun but tiring day – peppered with preteen drama. When the park was closing, this momma was more than ready to hit the road.
We managed to exit just before the mass exodus from the park. I smiled smugly as we waited for the tram to our car. We were beautifully positioned — first in one of the lines.
In a polite and just world, each line of people matches up to a row of seats in the tram. However, when the tram stopped, to my utter horror, the line of people next to me rushed the tram and took our row of seats! Uh-huh. Not going to happen, I thought. Momma’s got an attitude and she’s not going to be denied.
I spied one seat left in “our” row. It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine. While my family watched in disbelief, I jockeyed for position, leaving the husband of this family of “row-thieves” standing by the tram. Apparently, I decided I was going to make them leave their patriarch behind. At that moment it also seemed perfectly rational to leave my own family behind because that was “my” seat.
And I didn’t even have the keys to the car.
“Um, that’s my husband. He needs that seat,” said the Row-Thief Wife.
“Well, we were first in line and now we’re going to have to wait!” I said as I stepped off the tram in a snit.
My daughter was laughing hysterically, while my son stood wondering what alien life form had overtaken his mother. “Who are you, Mom?!” my daughter finally said.
My husband, always the calm one, observed, “The woman obviously didn’t know she was messing with The Polecat!" (His name for me when I do or say something irrational or feisty.)
A sense of entitlement. It’s the very thing I hate to see in my children. But here I was acting like a pouty princess because I didn’t get my way.
By the time I came to my senses, the Row-Thief Family was long gone and along with them my chance to apologize. However, I realized I could still make it right with God and use it as a teaching moment for my kids.
“I shouldn’t have acted that way. I’m sorry. We were going to get to our car whether we got on that tram or the next one,” I said. “I should have let it go. It looks ugly when we insist on our own way, doesn’t it?”
In NIV, Paul issues us this challenge: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.”
As parents, co-workers, spouses, and friends, we have opportunities to deny our “rights” every day.
I sacrifice for my kids and expect they’ll show me love and respect. I give time and attention to my spouse and expect grace and understanding. But sometimes I get attitude or apathy, backtalking and bellyaching. There are no guaranteed rewards; just Christ’s instruction to obey, to serve, to stick with it, regardless of the outcome; regardless of how I feel or what I think I’m entitled to.
Each and every time I do, I give others a little earthly glimpse of God’s unconditional love.
Jesus is our example. "... he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” NIV
He became nothing, giving up His rights as the Son of God to serve us. If I remember His example, maybe next time I’ll shut my big mouth and give up my seat on the tram.
Copyright © 2010 Melinda Means. Used by permission.
