Red Bird Devotions #19

Dangerous Amnesia 
(repost from 3/22/10)

“Sometimes we forget love”.

When I saw this posted as my son’s Facebook status, it made contemplate my life. I don’t ever forget love, do I?

I do.

Sometimes, when I am rushed and burdened and trying to complete the last lines of a well-thought out essay, and my precious daughter comes to talk to me, to give me a kiss good-night, I kiss her hurriedly—really wishing her already to bed—really only caring about completing my agenda; Then, I forget love.

When my teenage son is grumpy because he is over-homeworked, over-exerted and under-slept, and all I can do is criticize him because of his forgetfulness or his lack of joy; Then, I forget love.

When my husband isn’t like me and I judge him for the way he thinks or acts or perceives life in general, and not only do I think it, but I tell him I think it; Then, I forget love.

When I so desire someone to know Christ, and I give them a Bible and I talk to them about God and I tell them about Grace, but I don’t invite them to be a part of my life, nor do I get involved in their life; Then, I forget love.

When I pray to God for me and my family and my stuff, but I never ask God about Himself or about His purposes or about His Joy, and I never see beyond myself to His Majesty; Then, I forget love.

When I forget that it was Jesus who died to take my place—on a cross, with nails and blood and pain and with all the horrors of my sin heaped upon his broken body; Then, I forget love.

O Father God, keep reminding, keep reminding. I don’t want to forget. To Love.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

Red Bird Devotions #12

Welcome Home

When my kids went to kindergarten, half-days were the norm; I would drop them off at the school in the morning and pick them up a little before lunchtime.  This worked out well for all of us since my kindergarteners always napped in the afternoons, and I loved having them home with me for half the day--especially when they were sleeping (kidding…I am mostly kidding.) Since our neighbor families also had kindergarten kids, we often shared the driving to and from school.  This usually worked out great…until it didn’t.

This story is about one of those not-so-great times.  I was in charge of pick up on this particular day, and as I rolled up to the pick up lane, I noticed that none of the kids I was in charge of were waiting at the curb.  The teacher assisting said that one of the other neighborhood moms had already swung by and gotten the crew.  So, I pulled through the lane and made my way back to our development, (a little over two miles), or “the Farm” --our affectionate name for our subdivision --just outside of town. By the time I had gone to the school, pulled through the line, talked to the teacher, and left the school, at least 20 minutes had passed and I was hoping that my neighbor had realized her mix up and kept Cole--my kindergartener--at her house until I returned.  Cell phones weren’t very popular then and texting was definitely not a thing.  Knowing that he wasn’t in any danger, I turned toward the house, stopped for the mail at the mailbox, and then proceeded to our home.  When I got about 2 minutes from our driveway, I saw a small figure dressed in snow pants, snow boots and an orange winter coat--carrying a camouflage backpack--coming towards me and my heart started to race.  As I sped up to go towards him, I could see that it was Cole…and he was crying as he walked.  I immediately pulled over to the snow-covered grass, ran towards him, and grabbed him into my arms.  I asked him what he was doing, and between big sobs, he said, “Mommy, you weren’t there.”  Then I started crying, guilt flooding my entire being, and I said, “Oh honey, I am so so sorry.  That will never happen again.” 

Because my neighbor thought it was her day to pick up kids, she had just dropped Cole at the garage door and sped away.  What she didn’t know is that I wasn’t home right then, and our garage door was uncharacteristically locked that day.  So, when Cole tried to get in, he couldn’t.  He didn’t give up, however, he tried the other doors too, and finding them locked, he went first over to the next door neighbor’s house, and then he started walking up the road--the place I found him--to the go to the house the driver (and her family) lived.  I was so proud of him for being resourceful and for trying to find a solution even when he was scared, but when I found him plodding down the road, that bravado had worn thin and he was almost giving up.  My heart was broken because I knew that he felt, in a way, “abandoned,” and that made me sad.  No one was at fault, and it was just a simple scheduling mistake (and really, he was only in distress for probably around 15 minutes,) but I felt sorrow that I had contributed to making my very precious son feel unexpectedly separated from me.

I think God understood my feelings that day.  Please know, I never want to “humanize” God and make him something less glorious than he is; but when Jesus, God’s Son, was sacrificed for US…when Jesus died on the cross and was separated from his Father…when God had to turn his face against his very precious Child so he could take on MY sin and MY shame…when God had to momentarily abandon HIS ONLY SON so I COULD LIVE…when he heard the piercing, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  I’ll bet it brought sorrow to his heart.  Don’t you think?

Jesus willingly died for us and rose again so we would never ever have to be separated from God.  He did it so the promise “I will never leave you or forsake you” would ring true in our nervous hearts.  He did it so when we go on our final journey, maybe plodding and with waning courage, our Heavenly Father will run towards us with open arms and say “Welcome home, child.  I have been waiting for you.”

God made him who had no sin to be sin

 for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21