Train Up A Child

In this post-election atmosphere, adults are displaying some behavior that has my children asking all kinds of questions. My daughter is a very observant and intelligent child, and she understands the election process. Someone wins, and someone doesn't. Some are happy, some are not.  She even understands that it's okay to say that you aren't happy with who won, and that you don't like them and why you don't like them.  What she doesn't understand is why grown ups are hurting others, stopping traffic, and destroying property.  How do I explain when I don't understand this reaction myself? I thought it would be wise to tell her a story from my childhood:

Chicken  Little

Chicken Little likes to walk in the woods. She likes to look at the trees. She likes to smell the flowers. She likes to listen to the birds singing.

One day while she is walking an acorn falls from a tree, and hits the top of her little head.

- My, oh, my, the sky is falling. I must run and tell the lion about it, - says Chicken Little and begins to run.

She runs and runs. By and by she meets the hen.

- Where are you going? - asks the hen.

- Oh, Henny Penny, the sky is falling and I am going to the lion to tell him about it.

- How do you know it? - asks Henny Penny.

- It hit me on the head, so I know it must be so, - says Chicken Little.

- Let me go with you! - says Henny Penny. - Run, run.

So the two run and run until they meet Ducky Lucky.

- The sky is falling, - says Henny Penny. - We are going to the lion to tell him about it.

- How do you know that? - asks Ducky Lucky.

- It hit Chicken Little on the head, - says Henny Penny.

- May I come with you? - asks Ducky Lucky.

- Come, - says Henny Penny.

So all three of them run on and on until they meet Foxey Loxey.

- Where are you going? - asks Foxey Loxey.

- The sky is falling and we are going to the lion to tell him about it, - says Ducky Lucky.

- Do you know where he lives? - asks the fox.

- I don't, - says Chicken Little.

- I don't, - says Henny Penny.

- I don't, - says Ducky Lucky.

- I do, - says Foxey Loxey. - Come with me and I can show you the way.

He walks on and on until he comes to his den.

- Come right in, - says Foxey Loxey.

They all go in, but they never, never come out again.

At the end of the story, I explained to my little girl that sometimes people get "Chicken Little-itis" and because of things they hear or see or feel, they panic and make others panic with them. It's a very bad thing, because it leads you into trouble, because your fear can make you end up in trouble....with a bad crowd like Foxey  Loxey.  I reminded her it's always better to stay calm and pray and trust the Lord who is really in control of ALL things. I told her Mr. Trump has never been President before and people are scared, but he deserves our prayer, support, and a chance to do the job he was elected to do.  She smiled at me with intelligent eyes and said, "In other words, don't be a Chicken Little, right mommy?" I took her in my arms and said, "Yes baby girl, that's right."

Now, if only adults could understand.