God as Parent

I am reminded of how often God gives us a vision of our utter humanity. Limited. Immature. Unstable in all we do. Does he yell at us? Does he threaten us? Well, let’s see what he says about matters such as our frailty….

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-30 The Message

It totally makes sense that Creator God would appreciate and love the fragility of our human selves. As a grandmother, frail and human myself, I like to think that I have a heart of compassion and a bit of vision for my grandchildren. I do not bear the weight of their performance or achievement or even survival. They are small and easily overwhelmed in a world where they are just learning to not lick electrical outlets.

When they start freaking out, I know they need a nap or a snack. I understand they are over-stimulated and need a good book or mini-yoga - not an ipad or a new toy. So if I can understand this much, how much more does God understand us?

Take a few minutes and consider making a list that includes why compassion and care is what you and others need.

P.S. I am not saying that we eliminate consequences for bad behavior. When my grandkids get to tussling, we do not let them duke it out until someone is injured. We intervene. I think the most effective interventions are done quietly, calmly, but firmly. Harming behavior is interrupted. So let’s not get confused about this. There is a difference between compassion and no accountability. All I am saying is that compassion is imbedded in God’s response to us and I assume that it is good if we imbed compassion in our responses to ourselves and others.