The Forgive Button

I had "one of those days" this week.  You know, where I wasn't the best Mama in the world.  I've felt the burnout coming on for a few days, and sure enough, it showed up ... on  Monday.

One of our snafooos has been that our garage sale was postponed because of weather and so we have "stuff" all over our dining room. It's a multi-family garage sale, so we have things lying about that the girls have never seen before ... and, well, they've been dragging stuff all over the house.

Well, Monday, I tripped over my final "breaking point" toy .... and ...well,  I yelled.  I sent Sister to her room and fussed at her and told her she couldn't come out until her room was picked up.  Oh, how my heart was broken when I saw the look in Sister's eyes.

There we were, both heavy-hearted.

The problem here  is ... I did this in anger.  Not in a teaching spirit.  Not in a loving spirit.   And, well, there are things I could have done to prevent me from getting so stressed in the first place.

I retreated to the kitchen.  Sister to her room.  I prayed and asked for guidance and forgiveness from my Savior.  

Eventually, Sister came into the kitchen, so sweetly, and said she was finished with her room. I knew what I needed to do ... ask her for forgiveness for getting so angry.


We've been talking about forgiveness ever since we've been using discipline.  Usually, it's about her saying she's sorry and us saying, "We forgive you.  Clean Slate!" 

But, Monday, I needed forgiveness from my girl.  She would have the opportunity to forgive me.

Sister appeared in an outift that only a preschooler could love.  And, she had her Barbie guitar strung across her shoulder.  I asked her to forgive me.  I explained I was wrong for yelling and we talked about how we can work like a team to keep things picked up. 

 She looked at me with a blank look, holding her guitar the whole time.  Then she pressed a button that made a silly heavy metal sound ... and she said, "Mama ... that's the forgive button."

And, that was that.  She was good.  She was happy.  It was over.  WE were good.

It reminded me so much of the grace and mercy that we are provided through Christ.  And, how Christ encourages us to come to him like little children.  Simply.  Purely.  And, then he just presses the "forgive button."  That's it.  We're done.  We're good.  We're redeemed.

I'm so thankful for Monday.  So, thankful for the lesson and reminders taught to me.  Thankful for fresh starts full of forgiveness from Christ!

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. 

Colossions 3: 12 - 14

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  You can link back to Chatting At The Sky here!