Grace for Today

My children are sweet vivacious in-my-face-or-hanging-from-my-leg-ALL-day children. I love them desperately but there are days when the temptation to treat them like obstacles looms and tries to entangle me. It's days like today where I really begin to learn what true grace is.

I'm thankful for God's unconditional love. His affection for me, His daughter, is not dependent upon what I do or even what I do not do. Regardless of my actions, His demeanor isn't cool towards me, rather He eagerly awaits my seeking His face and even reaches out to me, reassuring me of His love. He isn't annoyed by me! He doesn't collect up the times I've offended Him or brought Him pain and then lash out at me in anger when I do it once again! Such love is hard for me to understand some times. It's much easier for me to think I have to be next thing to perfect, and then just maybe - if He is having a good day - it will be okay. But that isn't Grace! That isn't my Lord. :-)

There are moments where I am tempted to ignore my babies, to send them off to another room away from me, even for just a minute. Anything for SOME quiet! But God does not hide His face from me. Instead, He treasures me. There are moments when I'm tempted to react in anger rather than responding in love. After all...look what they did! Again! :-P But that isn't grace. That isn't love. That isn't treasuring.

So today, my babies, I treasure you. It doesn't matter that I have a disgusting toilet, a dinner party to prepare for, packages to send off, or laundry to do (well, maybe you can come with me to put the diapers in...those ARE necessary!). It doesn't matter that you are being whiny, smeared lipstick all over the couch and your sister's Bitty Baby that she hasn't even seen yet (aka Christmas present), that you are evading nap time once again, that you disobeyed me, that I'm exhausted, that my hair turned orange, etc. You are mine. I'm going to choose to extend grace (albeit pathetic in comparison to His!) to you. Why? You are mine. I love you.

That doesn't mean I won't correct you. There is a reason Mr. Pow-Pow is kept accessible. :-P But I'm not going to keep you from me. Our relationship is far more important than any wrong done. Our relationship (and the depiction it is of God's relationship with us all) is far more valuable that my to-do list or me-time. But after briefly correcting you, I'm going to hold you and remind you of how much I love you, how God has a special plan for you, how precious you are to Him and to Daddy and to me. And I'm going to tell you to go get that blankie and pillow of yours...you can have your quiet time nearby mum today.