The School of Hard Knocks

The holidays are over so we went back to school today. In our homeschool some of the symptoms of post-holiday back-to-school blues were exhibited such as moodiness, sobbing, and the dragging of the feet to the study table. The Bear experienced similar symptoms.

But this isn't really what I mean. No one got knocked hard in our school today, unless we count Pepper jumping with her usual exuberance. The "school" I wish to discuss is something that I was reminded of the other day while eavesdropping at a basketball game. Yeah, I'm often reintroduced to strange cliches while sitting around minding my own - and other peoples' - business.

The conversation went something like this:

Her: So where did you attend college?

Him: I didn't go to college. I graduated from The School of Hard Knocks.

I almost interrupted to tell him that he was mistaken but that seemed a bit rude, especially since I was the one doing the eavesdropping. I'm not contradicting where the man went to college or the success he has achieved in life in spite of it. I'm contradicting the part about graduating.

I've been attending The School of Hard Knocks myself for many years now and I have concluded that the commencement ceremony will not occur until I am lying in state in the church auditorium with people around quietly humming "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead""When We All Get to Heaven." I just don't see any other way to graduate. Either that or I am a very slow learner since I seem to be repeating some of the same courses over and over again.

And I don't think I'm the only one spending a lot of time in that school. God seems to be using many of the circumstances of life to teach lessons to my loved ones as well.

Some may be wondering why I haven't blogged about the Princess and her household recently. Well, in my determination to keep things a bit light-hearted I have avoided mentioning them. I decided to wait until their current studies were finished so that I could bask in the lessons that the Lord taught them (and me) during the matriculation process. I'm learning. I'm learning. I often get ahead of God and then He makes me repeat classes.

Here is the recent course description:

Three weeks ago the Princess called me on the phone and she was crying hysterically. I thought the worst had happened to our Little Beanie Baby. Once she could talk coherently she was able to say that her hubby (previously called The Chili King, but no more) had lost his job. Oh, that's all? What a relief! You had me scared there for a minute!

I'm really not heartless. But given the fact that the Princess was told last year that she would never be able to conceive children, and my mom and I had to answer many questions about our own health histories because the diagnosed syndrome is often genetic, the loss of a job was a much easier class to take than the one I feared we'd be attending. Further discussions with the Princess and her hubby (I hate not having a name for him) encouraged us to believe that God would provide for their little family in His own way and in His own timing. As Pastor Dad wisely reminded us, managing a chili restaurant wasn't his chosen vocation anyway, so it wasn't like he lost his dream job.

The week before Christmas my jobless son-in-law submitted 40 applications to various places of employment. Then he took some time off to help the Princess recuperate from ill health.

Yes, ill health.

First came the UTI on Christmas Eve. Then came the kidney stones three days later. We tried to be there to help through it all, which means really not being able to do much of anything except feel helpless. A late-night emergency room run. Holding her while she writhed in agony. Forcing fluids down her throat. Trying to get her to eat. That sort of thing. And then seeing her little pregnant belly that promises that all courses will be repeated but with them in the parents' classes.

The Princess seems to be feeling much better these days. And I think - hope - we've all learned our lessons well. Her hubby now not only has one new job, but two! And he has an interview with a third company soon. Bad economy? Ha! Big Eternal God!

I'm not ready to graduate just yet, Lord, but I would like a bit of a holiday break from The School of Hard Knocks if you don't mind.

(And I hope I passed the previous course.)