Dropping the Mom Ball

I dropped the mom ball recently.  I juggle several balls at once and am fairly successful but I let the mom ball go, hands down.  Kersplat!  I didn't actually just gently release it.  I inadvertently threw it to the ground. 

 I felt like a total bust.  It was so stupid, the releasing of the mom ball.  I was grumpy, the day had been long, and with a wicked and resounding thump, that usually light, airy orb dropped to the ground like a rock.  A boulder even.  One unthinking little (really, I mean, little) act on my behalf and disappointment was instantaneous.  Hurt and confusion were apparent in the eyes of my child.  No amount of explaining could rationalize what I had done in a moment of selfish pettiness. 

Funny how a split second can change everything. 

Thank God for repentance and forgiveness.  After a deep breath I said, "I'm sorry.  I won't do that again."  (Repentance means saying,  "I was wrong and I won't do that again".)  And my baby looked at me and said, "It's okay.  I love you."  We've moved on.  That was moment has become a drop in the bucket of our history, of our story.  That forgiveness liberated me from my selfishness. 

Again, funny how a split second can change everything.  This time for the better.  

All that from a child.  How much more does Jesus forgive us when we turn to Him in true repentance, after repeated acts of selfishness, pettiness, and sheer rebellion and say, "It's okay.  I love you." 

We've all dropped the ball on some front.  Maybe it's not the mom ball for you; maybe it's the spouse, sibling, friend, child, co-worker ball, or complete stranger ball.  Maybe it's the Jesus ball. 

Jesus paid everything for us because He loves us that dearly.  He is waiting anxiously for us to say, "I'm sorry that I haven't lived for You, Jesus." Pass the Jesus ball to someone else today.  Give them the chance to hear the Savior whisper gently to their hurting heart, "It's okay.  I love you." 

Do Over

In the first grade I was a leggy little girl with dark brown hair, big brown eyes., and the glow of summer still on my skin. And I loved to talk.  At Easter that year I had a beautiful dress in baby blue and it had a crenelin and I knew that I looked fancy and grown up in my dress.

After Easter, I wore my beautiful, blue, snazzy dress to school I was convinced that I could not possibly get in trouble for talking that day. I looked too good! Alas, before I could say "back to school" I was in the corner.  How did I end up there?  I looked the part of a well behaved girl but I hadn't changed my habits and my talking was still my talking and it landed me in trouble.

Fast forward to today.  I promised you that I would give you an update on my direction from God to be quiet and I have to tell you honestly that so far, I've been a dismal failure. Oh, I celebrate victory in the first day or two but then as the directive has become commonplace I've slid back back into my chatty old self.

Thank God for do-overs.  

Just like my first grade teachers (there were actually two of them) didn't make me stand in the corner forever and they didn't berate me for talking too much, God doesn't give up on me.  He takes me in His gentle yet firm hands and lets me know that He has given me a direction and that He will be best served if I pay attention to it and put it into action in my life. 

Do you need a do-over today?  If you do, tell your Father about it.  Be open.  Be honest.  Let Him know that you have messed up and you are willing to do it again on His terms this time. 

Your do-over day could be the best day yet of your life.  I know I'm finding that mine is!