When not going to the White House teaches you the best lesson of all

I have a friend who shall remain nameless.

This friend was incredibly excited. A casual friend had an inside connection and was able to secure a private tour of the White House.

For my friend, a major history buff, this was a really big deal. And not only is she a major buff but her husband and oldest son are as well. This family loves history. Loves visiting historical sites. 

This wasn't just a regular old tour. This tour included the Briefing Room and the Oval Office and the places that most people will never get to see. 

So she and her husband and her two kids joined casual friend and his wife for the tour. 

Only when they got to security and my friend went to pull out her identification, she realized that she didn't have it. 

Somewhere between the car and the White House, her identification had fallen out of her pocket. 

Scouring occurred to no avail. 

And she couldn't go on the tour.

Casual friend and his wife went without her. 

But now her husband and two sons stood in front of her. She begged her husband to take the kids and join casual friend and his wife. 

Her husband refused. Didn't even think twice. Said no way. They would all go home together -- having not seen the inside of the Oval Office or all the other cool places inside the most famous building in our country. 

My friend is not a crier, but she cried that night. She felt so bad. Not just that she had missed out but that her children missed out on this huge opportunity. 

She was so disappointed in herself and mad at herself. And she just felt lousy.

And then she walked into her bedroom and found this note (pictured above) lying on her bed. 

Written by her fifth grade son, if you look closely you will see that he has crossed out a picture of the White House and a picture of her I.D. and instead put a heart around a picture of their family in a heart. 

I know this is a difficult time for you. But it will be okay and remember even in times like this, God is with you all the way. And he and the White House and Military ID are not important. The most important thing is family. We will always be there for you. 

Talk about lessons learned.

I asked her for permission to share this story because I know we often face disappointments as parents and people. We have to watch our children face major disappointments as well. But in the end, what we learn during those events will matter much more than the disappointment itself.

Her son learned that: 

1. Bad things happen
2. You need to be careful with your things
3. Some things just cannot be fixed
4. Family sticks together
5. Things aren't really that important

She also, as a mother, can obviously see that she has been leading her boys well. And not only her, but their father. Their father showed his boys that their mother was more important than a tour. That they are in this together.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

I have other friends who have had to tackle some major disappointments recently. What good are you learning? What good is your child learning? What good is God showing you? 

Keep the big picture in mind. Years from now, it will matter much more than a tour of the White House.