The Chronicles of Biscuit - Prayers and Torture

The Chronicles of Biscuit - Stories about our youngest son, Tyler (age 7), whose nickname is Biscuit.

Yesterday we were driving to the mall in Oklahoma City.  My husband, Joe, mentioned something about prayer.  Biscuit said, "I pray all the time."  My husband and I both told Biscuit how proud we were of him for praying about so many things. We reminded him of the verse "Praying without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17".  Then Biscuit said, "Yes.  I pray about things that torture me."  Joe and I looked at each other a little shocked!  I asked Biscuit what tortured him in a teasing way - like his brothers, his sister, things like that.  He replied, "No.  2nd grade.  It tortures me."  He was serious as could be.

A little backgroud on Biscuit's 2nd grade year this far:  His class had 24 students and so after the first week of school, it was decided that the class would be divided.  We didn't care which teacher Biscuit got and neither did he.  The day the class was split, right after school Biscuit got in the car.  He told me he had moved to the other class, instead of the original class.  I asked if he was okay with that and he said yes.  But then I asked Biscuit about the friends he had in his "new" class.  His answer?  No one.

After that I named his friends one by one, including all of the kids that he goes to church with.  None of the ones I mentioned were in his class.  He seemed sad, but didn't complain.  He's continued to seem sad and mentions it some times, but we encourage him to look at the bright side - recess, lunch, P.E. - at those times the original 24 students are all together.  And, maybe Biscuit will become closer to the students in his own class throughout the year.

Biscuit will be okay.  It's not like he comes home crying and complaining each day.  In fact, he doesn't.  But, he is disappointed and isn't very excited about school this year.  And in his life, just as it is in all of our lives, disappointments will come.  Things won't go the way we want them to go.  We have to learn to adjust our attitudes and be content....or at least we should.

But, back to the "torture" comment.  Biscuit has no clue what the word "torture" really means, and I'm so very thankful he doesn't.  To him something not going his way is torture.  He'll make it and we'll help him, but most of all, I know that God will help him.

Biscuit knows what many of us know and what God wants everyone to know:  That He will help us and that He will give us just what we need.  He can give comfort, peace, and the strength to make it through anything at all - no matter how trying or painful it may be.  And, for that we should all be thankful.

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:13-16