“In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Matthew 18:14
Several years ago, my husband, John, coined the above title to define my reaction to malfunctioning mechanics.
“I can’t believe you can be so patient with our kids and yet get so mad at the car or computer, you’re ready to yell,” he would say with a big grin.
To me the answer was simple: Most of the time my girls can be reasoned with, in my experience, electronics can’t!
Hence my zero-tolerance policy. Once, our older car stranded me in a left hand turning lane in a busy intersection. I had two kids under five and two car seats to tow toward safety. (Of course this happened when John was out-of-state!) Time to think about replacing the car!
Another time, the computer lost my writing. Time for a different computer. (John informed me my ideal was too expensive!)
I’m so glad God doesn’t have a zero-tolerance policy.
No matter what we do, He is always there, constantly calling us back.
Think of the parable of the lost sheep. Jesus would leave 99 sheep, to locate one who is out wandering. (Matthew 18:10-14) Also, as in the story of the Prodigal son, (found in Luke 15:11-31), we read that when the father saw his son returning, he was filled with compassion for him. That describes God’s reaction to our return perfectly!
Maybe your head knows God is always ready to embrace and even applaud your return. But your heart hangs back, uncertain of acceptance. Maybe it can’t take rejection from one more source; much less the Heavenly Father who should love everyone.
If you’ve been doing life alone, climb out of that stalled car and make your way to the safety of the curb and your Heavenly Father’s waiting embrace.
You’ll need to acknowledge your wrongs, and ask for forgiveness. But the price of not putting down your pride is just too expensive.
Reflections:
1) When do I mentally assume I’m outside God’s reach?
2) If you feel alone, spend some time talking to God, sharing your heart. He already knows what’s in there, so you can’t surprise Him. You may surprise yourself at how calming it can be to talk with your Creator.
Please return by Tuesday, July 2 for the next post.