Today, as I turned off my alarm, I thought, "Wow, I'm actually ready for this day to begin." I thanked God for an almost full night of sleep and for the strength He gives me to take on the day's tasks.
As I do every morning, I woke up Landon first and told him to go hop in the shower while I made breakfast. Landon laid in bed a while longer and after I went in to wake him up again he emerged from bed, grumpy and irritable. He told me he didn't want to take a shower and that I was mean for making him take one. I asked nicely for him to please go get in the shower as I turned towards the pantry to get the stuff I needed to make breakfast.
That's when I heard it.
Landon stomped into the bathroom, turned on the water, and I heard the shower door slam....the solid glass shower door... which instantly shattered into a million pieces.
My first instinct was to run to see if he was okay. In my mind, I knew that the shower door had shattered but I didn't think for a second about the scene I might be facing as I raced towards the bathroom. Was Landon in the shower? Was he hurt? I didn't hear a sound after the sound of the glass breaking. I didn't know if he was safe.
Thankfully, Landon was standing outside the glass filled tub crying with fear. He walked away with nothing but a small scratch on his hand.
I wish I could tell you that I scooped him up and hugged him and was just so thankful that he was not hurt. In reality, after realizing that he wasn't hurt, I yelled at him for being angry and slamming the broken door. Don't worry, the irony isn't lost on me. God let my heart know right away that I was wrong. I mean, I was angry and yelling at him for being angry! Seriously, how ugly can you get?! I honestly think that one of the most humbling things in the entire world is having to apologize to your kids after you've sinned against them.
Later, as I vacuumed up the giant piles of broken glass shards, I have to say I wasn't feeling particularly joyful. Irritated would better describe my attitude. Thankfully, all it took was a little perspective from a good friend to see outside my selfish irritation and recognize the blessings in the middle of this mess...
First, I wasn't overwhelmed as I can so easily get when things like this happen. I mean, just two nights ago I was nearly brought to tears when I spilled half of the leftover dinner that I was putting into a tupperware container on my freshly mopped floor. This mess was much bigger and considerably more dangerous than some spilled food and I was calm and didn't feel like melting down. Only God can provide that kind of strength.
Isaiah 40:30-32
"He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
Secondly, I am so very thankful for God's protection. As my friend pointed out, this whole situation is a great visual of our sin. We can't see the potential damage our sin will cause and even when we are sorry for the sin, the damage has already been done. We can't take it back. Thankfully, God's grace is enough to meet the need of forgiveness that our sin creates. God's grace saved Landon from being severely hurt this morning, just as His grace saves us from the eternal consequences of our sin. How amazing is a God who supplies grace and love to us even when we are ugly and full of sin?! Awesome!
Ephesians 2:8
"For by grace you have been saved, through faith. This is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."
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