It's either laugh or cry!

Today I had to laugh...I drive two boys to a school about 35 miles from town. They are "somewhere on the autistic spectrum." One is in middle school, one in high school. You have to understand that C, my middle schooler, is more on a level of 2nd or 3rd grade, probably...maybe less, considering his favorite activity is to watch Thomas videos. So, yep, he is young. But SMART! Today, as we were waiting for the teacher to come out and unload him, he pointed at the school and said, "You see that building there? It's under arrest, and POW, it's gone, off to jail!" C. does NOT like school much...it interferes with watching Thomas, I suspect. He amuses me, and baffles me all at the same time. Often he will sit in the back seat of the van, chattering and laughing uproariously, all by himself. No clue what is going on, but he obviously is having a blast! Those are the good days. Sometimes there are bad ones. He cannot listen to reason, and gets fixated on things, so if something goes wrong...watch out! The screaming and crying and screeching will begin. But I thought that his idea of sending the whole school to jail was great!

My highschooler, D, is another whole story. Poor sad boy. He is a curmudgeon, at best. He plays these really dark, satanic (in my opinion...he has tried to explain them to me!) video games. He views life as worthless. According to D, everyone else (and I mean EVERYONE else!) is stupid, and HE is the only good one, with any sense. He is convinced he would be the only choice to rule the world, and that is his goal. He thinks God has done a very poor job of it, and is fed up with Him. Yesterday he asked me a question of what I thought about the idea of good versus evil, based on a game he tried to explain to me. It was amazing how much it sounded like a biblical game, based on the end times. He even mentioned a "thousand year reign." Wierd.
At any rate, I have to be careful how much I say. But after a while, I really got upset hearing him speak so disrespectfully about my Lord. I finally told him that it upset me, and that we needed to agree not to speak about this subject, obviously, because we were on totally different "sides". His response? "Oh, so now you are pushing your religion on me?" No, D., quite the opposite. I wish to NOT speak about religion. And anyways, I don't HAVE a religion. I have a God, who loves me personally, and with Whom I have a PERSONAL relationsip. D would not stop arguing. It wasn't pretty. I had to raise my voice and say "D, ZIP it! End of discussion! We are DONE!" Not really loudly...but according to D, he felt he should turn me in for "yelling" at him. I advised him that I had every right to "yell" at him if it was merited (insert scold firmly for yell...if he wants to hear me yell, I CAN!), that I could NOT swear at him, or touch him, but oh yes, I could yell! :) He was quiet all the way home. Thank the Lord!

So, this morning when C sent his school to jail, D looked up from his video game and said quite distinctly "and send the world's worst bus driver with it!" Alrighty then. I was laughing with C about the comment, so D's didn't immediately process. I said "D, what did you say?" He did not look up, ignored me. Finally I turned off the radio and said repeated my question loudly. He looked up and said "I didn't say a word!" I got to laughing. Which was a much better response than anger. Felt better, I can tell you! It was just such a bare faced lie, and came on top of C's mom handed me a small monetary gift and telling me I deserved a million dollars, but this was all she can afford right now! Such a difference between the two families! It just made me laugh, that I drive them BOTH together, and they can have such different outlooks! I giggled all the way to D's school, about 10 min. away, and grinned when he got off, saying "D, have a GREAT day at school!" He gave me SUCH a look! I confused him no end. Too funny.

Anyhow...I am, needless to say, praying for D. He sure needs it. Sad, sad ANGRY kid. And from what I can tell, his mother, at least, is just as angry. She had a huge confrontation with the bus company today, about D walking to the end of his driveway when there's a lot of snow. The van does NOT do well in snow, his drive is practically perpendicularly up, and then down into his yard. No way can I drive up it, if the ground (dirt, not paved) is not clear. Mom doesn't like that answer. No pleasing some folk! At all holidays, C and his family remember me with gifts. D and his family have NEVER done so, and have never even said thank you, EVER. Gives you an idea of where they are in life, huh? Glad I am NOT in their shoes...seems pretty grim!

I told my boss I needed battle pay! But I was laughing when I told her. I mean really...people are a hoot! I will continue to pray for D and his family. But I will pray for MYSELF, as well, that I find ways to "heap burning coals" of kindness on his head, and to remember to NOT take his grouching and complaining and downright rudeness to heart, but instead remember that even though he towers over me, he is a kid, and a hurt one at that, and he doesn't, apparently, have very good role models to follow at home.

All right...enough ranting! :) Have a GREAT day, everyone! I know I will! :)

Blessings...Nancy