Going out to lunch… this is something we do almost every Sunday after church. Some Sundays it’s family time, and sometimes we go out with friends. Since today was Father’s Day, it was Daddy’s turn to pick the restaurant and it was just the four of us. Daddy decided to go to the one restaurant that Sophie does not like. We all love the food, but there is this one little thing that scares Sophie to death…
The movie “The Incredibles” has been one that we have always loved, but Sophie does NOT love this movie! The character Edna scares her for some reason, and always has. Well, the restaurant that Daddy chose just happened to be one that has a movie poster of “The Incredibles” hanging on the wall.
Daddy got to the restaurant first and told them to seat us far away from the poster. Sophie agreed that it was Daddy’s day and that she was going to be a brave and not look at the poster. Well, we got inside the restaurant and she stared at the floor, desperately trying not to look over at the poster, and just as she whizzed through the aisle, she hit her shoulder on the corner of a table, really hard. I felt terrible, and I knew why she was walking so quickly, and why she wasn’t looking where she was going. She tried to hold in her tears, but they flowed down her little cherub cheeks.
The waitress who saw all of this came over and offered her ice for her shoulder, and asked what she could do to help. I explained the whole thing about the poster and her fear of it and the waitress was so kind. She immediately walked over to the wall and took it down. She didn’t ask her any questions and didn’t make her feel uncomfortable. In fact, she said how about we give you some ice cream to make you feel better. Well, you KNOW that immediately stopped her tears and she was smiling in no time! We got to our table, and Daddy had seen the whole interaction from afar. I explained what had happened, and just that quickly the waitress came with a milkshake for Sophie, and then brought one for Katie as well.
I am so thankful for the kindness that these waitresses showed to my daughter. All of our kids have their own little quirks or fears. As a parent, I want to protect them from any and every fear that they have, but I know that this will not always be possible. I am proud of Sophie for wanting to face her fear, and I am grateful for the kindness of the waitresses who helped make an awkward situation a little better.
Philippians 4:6 says Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. I frequently tell my girls this verse. I know that there will be times that I cannot protect them from their worries and fears, but I pray and trust that the Lord will always be with them. I am thankful that He used the kindness of the waitresses today to help Sophie face her fears.
I Sing Because I'm Free 