Last night I received a lesson and hopefully taught one as well. It was the bedtime hour and I was putting the kiddos to bed. My youngest daughter requested some juice in a sippy cup to place beside her bed. She got used to doing this during a recent battle with the flu so I didn’t mind agreeing to said request. My middle child heard the request and decided she would like a little bedside refreshment as well. One problem…she has been known to sleep right on through her “potty alarm”….if you know what I mean.
Knowing that she would have this “issue” and trying to avoid a further problem, I kindly explained that she probably shouldn’t as it might lead to her wetting the bed. Since I am a softie when it comes to my girls, the hour was late and I didn’t have it in me to argue…you guessed it, she got a sippy cup too. Everyone went to bed without a hitch and I enjoyed the next 2 hours of catching up on some work in my home office. That’s when it happened.
Small footsteps
Sleepy child walking in my office
Quivering lower bottom lip
Embarrassment on her little face
A tear formed in her eye
Decision time for Daddy…..
In that instant, I knew this could go one of two ways. While my human nature was screaming “I TOLD YOU SO”, there was a still small voice. It softly whispered, “Be careful here Dad, you’ve got this child’s heart and maybe even her future understanding of God right in the palm of your hand. Don’t blow this!”. After confirming that she had, in fact, wet the bed I decided to take a route she wasn’t expecting me to take.
Grace.
I motioned to my little one to come and sit on my lap (thankfully she had already changed her pajama pants). I then wrapped my arms around her and simply, softly whispered that I knew it was an accident. I explained that Mommy and Daddy know what we are saying when we ask them not to do certain things. I then told her I loved her, it was okay, and that we would go clean up her bed. Within 10 minutes she was back in bed, asleep and her heart and spirit were still intact. Hopefully one day she’ll remember that her father’s love is like that of our Heavenly Father.
How many times have I done what I knew I shouldn’t have done? How many times has it gone as predicted? How often have I experienced God’s grace in those circumstances? Lesson learned and hopefully…a lesson taught.
Grace.
Your Turn: Ever given or received a lesson in grace?
AARON CONRAD 