The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round.......by Kimchi Blow

The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round

Do you remember the children’s song, “The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round, the wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town?”  That precious childhood tune brings back so many memories of being joyful and carefree, until my son, one day, showed me another meaning to this once captivating melody.

Justin, my middle child, holds more energy in him than he knows what to do with.  He is all boy!  Most days, I can only hope to prepare myself for whatever antics he might display. 

One such incident caught me completely off guard, and I will not soon forget it.  My handsome, brown-eyed son came bounding through the front door after a full day of first grade schooling.  He found me lounging on the couch in my customary 3 p.m. position—feet up, TV on, watching Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network Channel finish up this luscious Pasta Alfredo dish.  It contained three delectable cheeses and my mouth was watering just thinking about it.  Needless to say, my stomach was sold and my soul longed to be there with her, among her friends, tasting this masterpiece of perfection!  But, as life would have it, the sound of my whimpering son quickly brought me back to reality.  A dilemma at hand needed my full attention.  So off went the TV and on went my “mommy radar.”  

“Mom, mommy, my school bus driver wants to see you—NOW!” he cried.  I sat there bewildered, wondering what just happened to my peaceful little world of Giada, pasta, and cheese.  As I came to, I quickly looked at Justin and said, “What happened buddy?”  He replied, “My school bus driver wants to see you now.  She is parked outside the house!”  “Outside the house?” I thought.  At once, I asked, “why?” as I jumped off my couch.

Apprehension and confusion came over me, and I knew that I needed to brace myself.  As I walked to the front door, I probed Justin for more information, but all he would say was, “I don’t know.”  Of course, that was a sure sign this situation was bad!  As we approached the scene of the crime, he looked deathly pale.  There was an odd silence from my front door to the mailbox, all of which is only 25 feet, but the walk seemed extremely long that day.  Sure enough, the big yellow school bus marked 639 was awaiting us.  I was praying that no neighbors were outside or peering through their windows to see the drama unfold.  Hey, I had a reputation to protect, but little did I know, Justin was about to challenge it.  

Many years passed since I last jumped on a school bus, but as I felt the heat from the engine and heard the steady idle of the motor, I immediately felt 7 years old again.  The doors squealed open and I saw those infamous black, rubber stairs.  My heart pounded as I ascended up them.  On the 3^rd stair, there she sat—a blue eyed, 5’2, gray-haired lady.  Her hands were at her face and she was sobbing.  I swallowed hard and braced myself for what was next.

Getting the courage, I fearfully said, “Hi Miss Donna, Justin said you wanted to see me?”  Looking up from her former state, I could see her eyes filled with tears and panic as they met mine.  The poor lady was visibly shaken and my heart went out to her, but at the same time, my heart was protective of my son too.  I swallowed hard as I heard the verdict of “guilty” being spoken over Justin.

In that moment, I wanted to shield him and embrace him, but I knew there was nothing I could do because he made a choice to disobey one of the most important safety rules.

Miss Donna went on to explain how Justin entertained the other passengers by standing up in his seat and throwing his body half way outside the school bus window while screaming at the top of his lungs.  Mind you, the bus was going 55miles per hour down the local highway!  She exclaimed how she heard chanting and clapping as Justin performed his death defying acts of folly.  Leave it to my son to lead an uprising to overcome boredom on a school bus!  Looking into her mirror, Miss Donna witnessed Justin’s body balancing on the window frame.  Frightened and alarmed, she knew that if she hit her brakes or jerked the bus in either direction, Justin would surely fall out and either get crushed by the wheels of her bus, or get hit by another car. 

Somehow, she gained control of her emotions, slowed down the bus, and took control of the situation.  In all her 30 years of service as a school bus driver, she never experienced such a terrifying situation.  Again, leave it to my son to challenge her world!

I stood bewildered and speechless without a single thought.  Obviously, I wished I could quickly read a trustworthy parenting book directing me on the chapter titled, “How to deal with out of control boys who love the center of attention on the school bus!”  But there was not one!

Justin started crying behind me, and I felt trapped in the middle of having compassion for both him and Miss Donna.  What was I going to do?  Of course, my natural instinct was to take my son and spank him until the cows came home, but I knew that I would have done it out of anger rather than love if I laid a hand on him at that moment.

Finally, I took a deep breath and hugged the bus driver, trying to comfort her.  I explained to both of them that God watched over them that afternoon.  I apologized for my son’s behavior and required Justin to do the same.  Miss Donna told me she must report the incident to the principle, so I told her I understood her position.  

Justin and I walked back into our house.  My son went to his room until I could clear my mind of emotions.  Somehow, I quickly became calm.  Usually, I would rave and scream at the top of my lungs and add to the drama, but I felt God’s presence.  I just listened to His still quiet voice inside me. 

“His kingdom, His kingdom,” is all I could hear him say.  It was about His kingdom business.  He replayed the action of me hugging the driver in my mind; at first, she was hesitant, like nobody ever comforted her before.  When I pointed out to her that God watched over them, I remembered that she surprisingly agreed His angels were there.  I saw a peace fill her and I remembered feeling a tranquility come over me right then, because I knew God was using all of us together to reveal something important to us individually.

God showed me how I could trust His protection over my children. Justin learned humility, obedience, and authority, while Miss Donna discovered love, compassion, and shelter.

I spent the rest of the afternoon reflecting back on all the details.  I prayed and asked God to show my husband, Craig, and me the best course of action to take with Justin.  My heart went out to him, although I knew he was completely responsible.  I still felt as if he was learning a valuable lesson, one he would not soon forget.  I needed to step back and allow God to teach it to him and not shield him from it.

When my husband got home that afternoon, I briefed him on the events that unfolded. We both agreed that we would use a punishment that fit the crime. We did not spank him this time; instead, Justin had to write an apology letter to Miss Donna, asking for her forgiveness.  He also spent the evening writing all 10 of his bus rules 5 times each.  Now, for a first grader, this was a lot of writing.  I could hear him at the kitchen table reasoning underneath his breath how he wished there were only 5 rules instead of 10.

I chuckled because although he committed a serious act, he still remains just a kid—a kid looking for fun and adventure, living life with zeal and no boundaries.  But through this punishment, he further learned another important lesson.  A person gifted with leadership must take his influence and use it appropriately to glorify God under the boundaries He sets for us.  I praised God for the much needed lesson—one we all need reminding of from time to time.

The next day at school, the principle summoned Justin to her office for the meeting with the bus driver.  They graciously allowed him to continue riding the bus, but the principle restricted him to sit in the front seat directly behind the bus driver all by himself, with the seat belt strapped on.  Justin was upset at first, but he eventually understood that consequences always follow his actions—whether good or bad.  Miss Donna and Justin eventually became good friends.  She favors Justin now and since then, she told me how he makes her smile and laugh with his strong and charismatic personality.

Children tend to teach us much, if we allow them. After having 3 children, I learned a great deal of those lessons and know many more will come.  Submitting and trusting the Lord throughout the process is always difficult.  But, God has a funny way of taking the simple things in life—like school buses and children—and using them to reveal keys to His kingdom—like wisdom; we gain wisdom much quicker when we walk in these situations first-hand.  Who knew that as “the wheels on the bus went round and round” that day, God was the driver?  God’s scripture tells us that He has been faithful to a thousand generations.  In my book, that equates to thousands of school bus miles!