He was only trying to help.
I knew this of course, but it didn’t stop my reflexes from kicking in and me from almost raising my voice. Almost.
The thing is, I had asked him not to take out the eggs. I knew they were too heavy, too high in the fridge, just too much for him — I knew he couldn’t handle the situation alone.
Mama was more than willing to offer help, but he couldn’t and didn’t wait on me…
And all the eggs broke, an entire dozen crashing to the floor.
He cried and I almost did. Almost.
In nearly 24 years of mothering, this lesson of extending grace comes again and again. For I’m convinced grace class is one requiring repetition, one from which we graduate later. Much later.
Like a muscle requiring movement for health, we must practice…MOVE…in grace and forgiveness as Mamas.
Our children will make mistakes.
The eggs will fall in big and little ways, and all of them may break. Today, tomorrow, it doesn’t matter really. A season of no mistakes isn’t reality for any of us.
We fall short regularly, daily. So do our children. They sometimes behave as humanity does on its own — imperfectly.
In those moments, those seasons, where is your heart?
Grace doesn’t dismiss reality, ignoring facts.
Grace allows for discipline, for correction – for truth.
Grace never expects us to keep silent when something must be said, or done. Prayed through, thought through, carried day in and day out until the situation changes.
Grace is strong enough for a mother’s fears, weariness, disappointment, tearful prayers, and even sorrow.
But still, where is your heart?
With broken eggs oozing on the wood floor, he looked up at me.
I said nothing at first, but he knew.
He now understand what Mama had meant…why the hesitation, why the caution.
This time, thankfully, I remembered the first response. I breathed deep, picked him up and…
OFFERED GRACE.
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Today Mamas, as we go about our day…wherever our children find themselves in the journey…let us offer them words of GRACE.
Words speaking life, words speaking joy. We need them often, yes? Of course we do. So do our children.
Today…offer grace.
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