"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16 NKJVI talked about how much I love this verse, and the words in it, as it applies to me, here.
This time it is about how this verse has impacted the way I interact with my children.
Mercy.
Grace.
Do my children know that they can come to me and "...obtain mercy and find grace"?
That can stop a mom of toddlers in her tracks.
On Sunday, the Pastor said after stepping on a small toy his child left out, "I wanted to wake him up, make him pick up all the toys, clean the whole house, scrub toilets, and maybe walk around the block with a boulder on his head". Man, are there ever days I feel like that! (He didn't, and I don't, by the way).
Yet. God is OUR parent. Thus, my boys are going to learn what God as a parent is like from their only source of knowledge about parents....me and their daddy. Wow. Let me say that another way..I am my child's first view of God.
Does that view include Mercy? Does that view include Grace?
Or (cringing a little)
Does that view include short fuses? Yelling? Punishment in anger?
I don't want Isaac and Joel to view God as primarily angry or frustrated. I want them to view God as Mercy. Grace. Help in their time of need. Love.
So I try to parent through that lens. I am far from perfect. But I think I am making imperfect progress. I calm down. I take a breath. I get on their level. And I dig deep (sometimes very deep) for the mercy and grace I want my kids to know.
Because I love them. Because God loves them so much more.
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