Wocket In My Pocket

I admit it.

I don't always like to follow rules.

Rules seem so constraining.

And confining.

And they make winning a scavenger hunt really difficult.

But, I'm also a little too scared to break the rules completely.

So, I find a way to bend them.

Restaurant too expensive?

Buy a kids meal.

Don't want to spend money on new music?

Go to the library.

All those CD's are free.

Laundry taking way too long?

Throw all those colors in together.

That's what they make cold water for.

I don't break the rules completely- I just find a way to make them work for me.

And most of the time, after I've bent these rules a little too much, I start to feel guilty.

But nothing haunts my concise like the Wocket Incident of 1994.

Miss Montalvo, if you're reading this, I need to apologize in advance.

I was in Kindergarten.

And as every good Kindergarten teacher does, Miss Montalvo had set up a system to track our behavior.

But she was not the boring type.

Red light, yellow light and green light just wouldn't do.

Miss Montalvo used Wocket's in our Pockets.

Now, for those of you who haven't read this Dr Seuss classic, all you really need to know is at the beginning of every week, each student started out with a certain number of "wockets" (aka slips of paper) in their "pockets"( aka cubbies) and had to remove a wocket every time a classroom rule was broken.

If a student had any wockets left at the end of the week, they got to go to the beloved treasure box, full of candy, games, and every McDonald's Happy Meal toy the room Mom could get her hands on.

And if, at the end of the week, you were the unlucky kid that had no wockets left, you not only didn't get to go to the treasure box, but you had a note sent home to your parents.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

I was walking down the hall.

You were supposed to be quiet in line.

I knew that.

But I just had to tell Tia about the newest CareBear I got.

I thought I could be sneaky.

I thought I could whisper.

"Katie Johnson".

My little bowlcut head whipped around.

"You know you're not supposed to be talking in line. When we're back in class, go take a wocket out of your pocket".

I made the Kindergarten walk of shame towards my cubby.

And then I saw the horror.

I only had one wocket left.

I couldn't get a letter sent home.

And I really wanted to go to that treasure box.

So I did what any rule bender would do.

I took the wocket out as I was told.

And then, when Miss Montalvo's back was turned, I put it right back in.

Technically, I followed directions.

Just not completely.

I think I look at the way I live as a Christian in the same way.

And when I read this verse in Ephesians tonight, I was struck by how badly I do at holding up my end of the bargain sometimes.

Because as Christians we are called to

² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

It doesn't say be a just little bit humble.

It doesn't say be just a little bit gentle.

It doesn't say be just  a little bit patient.

It says be completely humble.

Be completely gentle.

Be completely patient.

I think that sometimes I let myself off the hook too easily.

Sometimes I tend to think - 

"Well, he person really makes me mad, so all I can do is not slap him in the mouth. That's being gentle enough".

Or

"She should know how to do this. I wouldn't have to be patient if she knew what she was doing".

But, it just doesn't work that way.

We are called to a higher standard.

We are called to be different then the world around us.

And if we are made complete in Christ, then that completeness should radiate and permeate every way in which we interact with people.

And while that may seem hard,

And it may seem scary,

we serve a big enough God that with Him, nothing is impossible.

And when it comes to the way we treat those people that He loves so dearly,

Breaking the rules doesn't cut it this time.

And Miss Montalvo, if you read this, that Ronald McDonald toy was just not worth it.