A Reflection about parade on 14th July

Last parade was a pretty challenging parade for me. One part of it is because I din sleep enough, one part of it is because I was asked to bring a Boy to parade. Since this is a Blog, I shall not reveal the identity of this Boy.

The story goes like this. This Boy did not want to come for parade, because he finds it boring, but its willing to attend the punishment, which is 3 sessions of school detention. What he does not know is that the he is considered repeat offenders, which will means that his punishment will doubled in severity. His reputation in the school is already not very promising so he already sort of have that kind of give-up, suck-thumb kind of attitude. So he was ready to miss the parade and get the punishment.

I went over to his house and to find no one at the door. Waited for a good 10 minutes only to receive a angry note (as i have been pressing the bell and knocking at the door) from his dad that he is this Boy is not at home. Obviously, he was siding the Boy but as he close the door, I mention that this Boy will be punished for missing the parade. After smsing this Boy and standing at the door for another 10 minutes, I was ready to give up and move on to the next house to grab another Boy that is playing the rules. 

I was thinking a lot then, why does this Boy want to give up himself. As i was bring the 2nd Boy back to Parade, the first Boy called up and i was pleasantly surprised. This Boy called and said that he will be coming. I thought, "wow, he started to think properly and wanted to make up for it." So I say quickly come and i will wait at the road junction just outside school. It was drizzling then but i choose to wait at the traffic junction.

I thought in order for him to redeem himself, I cannot go to his house again. He have to come to us. If not, the whole episode will just be another adult-force-children kind of episode. He needs to learn that not doing wrong is better than accepting the punishment. 

To cut the wrong story short, he manage to come for parade, even though it is consider late and will receive the punishment for being late and not the punishment for persistent skipping of official school events. 

I was actually very happy for the Boy, because he choose not to commit the wrong of missing the parade instead of the original intent to skip the parade and accepting the punishment. Being late and missing parade is both wrong. But he choose to stop at being late is remarkable. Even though he needs lots of improvement and more mentoring, i thought that this shows that at least, this Boy still have hope. In fact, if he divert more attention to do right, I believe with all my heart that be a good and able leader of the Company. 

Somehow, I am very thankful that this episode took place. It literally shows me a glimpse on how God feels with one lost son returns to the Father ( Luke 15:11-32 ). So dear Officers or Leaders, lets not give up on any Boy that cross our paths. They are precious gems ready to be polished and uncovered.

Signing off!