Reflection: I had a parenting fail. A big one.
My son came to me complaining of a tummy ache. I said, ‘Drink more water.’
He came again and complained of a tummy ache. I said, ‘Drink more water and have some prunes’.
He came to me again and complained of a tummy ache . . . and on it went. Finally, I took him to the doctor to find that his appendix had ruptured 12 days earlier.
He was rushed to the hospital where he received state of the art medical care and eventually recovered, thank God.
We had not long returned from living in rural India and someone remarked how grateful we must have been that we were not in India when this happened. I immediately thought of the many mothers who cradle their sons as they die of treatable illness because they don’t have access to the healthcare that I do. I was annoyed at the comment, as if it was saying, ‘Aren’t you grateful you are not them?’
But deep down there was truth to it. Was I willing to share our medical care with the world if it meant that my son might have less? Not really.
And yet our all-powerful God chose to sacrifice his only son for me. I can trust him with my life, he won’t give me prunes, even if I feel I’ve failed those he’s entrusted to me.
I want to trust God, to live in his forgiveness and grace every day.
I want to live in the freedom of generosity that Jesus paid for with his life.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you so loved the world that you gave your only son for everyone throughout the world. Amen.