I decided to do something new this year as we enter the week leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Because one of the greatest gifts that happened on Calvary was the gift of grace, I’m going to take each day this week and focus on that. I thought it would be good to remind myself of that amazing grace every single day. If you’d like, feel free to follow along throughout this week.
A Lesson in Grace
Several years ago, I received a lesson in grace and hopefully taught one as well. It was the bedtime hour and I was putting the kiddo’s to bed. My youngest daughter requested some juice in a sippy cup to place beside her bed. She got used to doing this during a recent battle with the flu so I didn’t mind agreeing to said request. My middle child heard the request and decided she would like a little bedside refreshment as well. One problem…she had been known to sleep right on through her “potty alarm”….if you know what I mean.
Knowing that she would have this “issue” and trying to avoid a further problem, I kindly explained that she probably shouldn’t as it might lead to her wetting the bed. Since I am a softie when it comes to my girls, the hour was late and I didn’t have it in me to argue…you guessed it, she got a sippy cup too. Everyone went to bed without a hitch and I enjoyed the next 2 hours of watching television. After a few hours of down time, I decided to catch up on some work in my home office. That’s when it happened.
Small footsteps
Sleepy child walking in my office
Quivering lower bottom lip
Embarrassment on her little face
A tear forming in her eye
Decision time for daddy…..
In that instant I knew this could go one of two ways. While my human nature was screaming “I TOLD YOU SO”, there was a still small voice. It softly whispered “be careful here Dad, you’ve got this childs heart and maybe even her future understanding of God right in the palm of your hand. Don’t blow this!” After confirming that she had, in fact, wet the bed I decided to take a route she wasn’t expecting me to take.
Grace.
I motioned to my little one to come and sit on my lap (thankfully she had already changed her pajama pants). I then wrapped my arms around her and simply, softly whispered that I knew it was an accident. I explained that Mommy and Daddy know what we are saying when we ask them to not do certain things. I then told her I loved her, it was okay and that we would go clean up her bed. Once all the cleanup was complete she was back in bed, asleep and her heart and spirit were still intact. Hopefully one day she’ll remember that her father’s love is like that of our Heavenly father.
How many times have I done what I knew I should not have done? How many times has it gone as predicted? How often have I experienced Gods grace in those circumstances? God has every reason to hold my every foolish decision and move over me. My list of wrongs is much longer than the list of things I get right. Remarkably, “Friday” happened so He doesn’t have to. “Friday” happened so each day I experience a grace beyond my understanding. Lesson learned and hopefully…a lesson taught.
Grace.
There’s only grace
There’s only love
There’s only mercy
And believe me,
it’s enough…-Matthew West
