The Soul Of My Feet

You know that famous cliché about slowing down to smell the roses? Well, I don’t recommend it! Because I nearly took a short cut to Heaven this week.

We were walking back from a little trip to our corner store for some much needed lollies and I let go of my two year-olds hand for a few seconds to smell some beautiful roses, however, in my moment of contemplation over God’s creation, my little boy decided that the middle of the road was far more interesting. So from slowing down to smell the roses, the adrenalin kicked in and without even thinking I darted onto the road to collect him before a car did… thankfully the driver anticipated the situation and slowed down but it could have been a different story and life may have been taken from my family in a second. It made me think though that it was pure instinct to lay down my life for his and I would not have hesitated. Our love for our children is simply so great… in that same way Jesus laid down his life for us  so that we might be saved…

My little boys taught me something this week, you see a lot of time they get up to mischief, but the one thing they struggle with is the thought that they have dissapointed Mummy. They just don’t like getting into trouble, yet they make mistakes, make the wrong choices and as a result there can be negative consequences. But I realised that the important aspect of the disciplining process is to allow reconciliation and a chance for a cuddle and the reassurance that Mummy still loves them even though they just rubbed red crayon into the white carpet

So I wanted to make a mental note today to always try to love my kids without conditions. Even if they stuff it up I want them to know that they can always come back and make the relationship right again. Even as an adult I continually seem to ‘stuff it up’  and it breaks my heart to think I have hurt someone unintentionally,  I can’t seem to function properly if there is any brokenness in a relationship, in fact it breaks me to think that I have let someone down… and there is no way for me to make it up or repair the damage. I guess I’m thankful that God will always forgive me and allow me to come back to him, he is the best Father and parent of all and hopefully I can try with his help to model this with my own children.

‘Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.’ (Col 3:13)