The Comeback Kid

Growing up I attended a church with a very strong youth choir. I could not wait to be old enough to join. They toured the country every year performing Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell. I toured with them for six years. I don't think I will ever forget a single line, word, note or dance from either show.

Most of what I know about Jesus and even the bible, although I am a preacher's kid, came from these two shows. There was one thing I always found amazing about Jesus, he was the Comeback Kid! He always knew what to say.

In middle school, we called teasing each other "put downs" or "cut downs" and then when you answered back it was a "comeback." All the cool kids new the latest cut downs and how to respond to them. For me it was always like this:

Cool Kid: "you're ugly and you're mama dresses you funny"
Me: uuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhh waaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Well, I didn't always cry but inside I think I did. I never knew what to say. Sometimes I would figure it out an hour later. Jesus always did! He would tell those people exactly the right thing to shut them up or prove them wrong. I tended to view him as harsh because there is not a lot of tenderness in JCSS. But I know he also knew what to say to comfort people. Even before the big bracelet WWJD thing happened, I would ask myself "What would Jesus say?" I always wanted to have a good "comeback" (I don't think that is really what the bracelets are about!)

When I taught middle school for 8 years. The kids would come to me and say. He said my mama was fat. I would always say "is it true? Then who cares?" A little risky, but I did stop a few fights.

Lately, I have been tons of self-help books. It seems that if I just had the right "comeback" I could have changed my marriage. If I just had not said what I felt and tried to say the right words in the right order at the right time the verbal abuse would magically stop. If I just change my patterns, my hubby has to change his. It seems so easy when I read the books. If he discounts my feelings just say this yadayada If he yells just walk out of the room. Go get hobbies become more interesting have other friends. Okay, but life just really isn't that black and white. Sometimes he apologizes. And the book doesn't say what to do then!

I wish I could think on my feet under pressure the way Jesus did. I wish I knew how and when to say the right things. I wish I could be a Comeback Kid.