You Is Kind. Baby Pearce Learns a Lesson

I am raising a future leader, but what that means in the mean time is that I’m the mother of a strong-willed, choleric, active little boy who is fortunate to be 8 years old. Pearce has known what he has wanted in this world since before I gave him permission to make a choice on anything. Sometimes this has meant that he would have a meltdown or temper tantrum in public. It wasn’t because he was spoiled. It was because I was obstructing his success.

During fall fest when Pearce was a little over two, I had him dressed in the cutest cowboy outfit, and as I walked around with him he only wanted to be with his daddy who was passing out candy in the festival. The thing was Pearce would have been a hindrance requiring all of his daddy’s attention. Pearce has been a man-baby from the moment he was born. His happy place since he could sit in a buggy has been Home Depot and Lowes. If you think I’m kidding, ask Patrick or my parents. Since Pearce was not getting to see and be with his daddy at that exact moment, he threw one whollapalloza of a temper tantrum in front of God and everybody. I had no choice but to handle the situation in front of God and everybody. I sat down on the ground like an Indian, plopped Pearce in my lap, crossed his arms in front of him and grabbed his hands, and wedged his feet between my crossed legs. OH WAS HE ANGRY! He bucked, and he screamed. He knew the routine. This wasn't our first rodeo. The more he bucks, the tighter things become. The more he regains control, the more I can release my grip. It seemed like I was on the ground with him for 25 minutes, and really he still wasn’t done, but he was done enough for me to carry his tiny hiney out to the car where he was disciplined further. While I was on the ground holding him, parents with their kids in tow saw everything which made Pearce even madder, but I had no choice.

I do my best to praise him in public and correct him in private, but sometimes that just can’t happen. I let people know who work with my son, teach my son or spend time with my son that he requires an actual hands-on approach, and if they need to, they can call or text me and I’ll bring the spoon. Thankfully, those times are growing less frequent. Praise the Lord from a weary momma. I just keep telling myself these are wonderful qualities and traits and strengths God has given Pearce for later in life. It’s up to me not to kill him first (just kidding). It’s up to me to help to shape Pearce into the godly man God wants him to be.


Kindness is love’s conduct, according to my Open Bible Edition of the American Standard Bible. Kindness means treating others the way you want to be treated or treating them better than they deserve. It means praising in public and disciplining in private. It means investing in another person in a way that is meaningful to that person not yourself. Trust me, the last thing I wanted to do was sit down in that field and restrain a two year old, but it is what was best for him.

In Acts 18, Priscilla and Aquilla hear Apollos teaching the only thing he knows to teach. He basically had one sermon (LOL). According to verse 24, He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. In verse 25 however it says, He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. It’s a sermon that can preach for sure, but it didn’t give a complete picture, and it showed a hole in his education. So what does Priscilla and Aquila do? They invited him into their home and teach him more thoroughly (verse 26). Once he was equipped, he went on to publicly debate the Jews about Jesus being the fulfillment of prophesy and being the Savior that God had promised. Priscilla and Aquila took time out of their schedule and their tent-making work to instruct and invest in another person, and they did so by welcoming him warmly into their inner sanctuary of life. That my friend is kindness…every letter of the word. Not only that, but when Apollos was ready to go, they encouraged him and wrote a letter on his behalf.

As a result of their kindness, verse 28 says, he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. They became an elemental building block in his kingdom work, and isn’t that the whole point?

Look for opportunities to be kind. Maybe exercise kindness to the checker at Walmart, the crossing guard, the mailman, your waiter or waitress. Exercise kindness in your own family – why should they see you being kind to someone outside your walls when you aren’t nice to them? And exercise kindness to fellow believers.

You is kind! From The Help.