Proud Confessions of a Toddler

Sitting in my office the other day my little guy who is 3 comes up to me and says, "Mommy?" "Yes dear, I said." "You might get mad at me but I wanna tell you something." "I said I promise I won't get mad if you tell me the truth." - He didn't really lie the day before, he had just not told me the whole truth. I accepted his apology, we talked about my disappointment and what he could do to avoid this happening again. He agreed he would not make this choice again, and we had a good day. I had mixed emotions after reflecting on this small but almost adult-like 3 year old conversation I had had. On one hand I was pretty upset that he had lied about it in the first place, thinking to myself, Oh my goodness the lying is already starting and he is only 3, but I quickly changed my way of thinking when I realized how proud I was of him coming to me worried that he may get in trouble but willing to confess that he did wrong and be punished, if I saw fit.
When I was growing up, sure I remember getting spanked, talked sternly to and yelled at, but the thing that sticks out the most in my mind was not the fear of the punishment that I might experience for my actions but the disappointment from my parents that I had chosen to do wrong. I always felt safe coming to them and letting them know what was going on with me. They instilled in me at a very young age that God is good and gracious. We can sin but he will accept us back over and over again. The fact that my parents taught me that above all love is the strongest and even though we can upset someone, God also wants us to extend forgiveness. I know I will not always have control over the decisions that my son makes or how he acts or treats others, but I do hope I can raise my son to be an honest, caring, loving and forgiving adult. I hope to be a good example and not only teach him right from wrong, but give him the ability to make mistakes and learn and grow from them.
Yesterday in church the sermon discussed the prodigal son from Luke 15:11-32. The younger son dishonored his family by asking for his inheritance and then going and blowing it on frivolous things, the older son stayed and was loyal to his dad. When the younger son came back the father welcomed him with open arms back into the family. The older son became angry and questioned the father's fairness. The father said, "everything is yours my son all you had to do was ask." The father loved both of his sons even though one had done wrong. This truly is the power of forgiveness that our heavenly Father shows us every day.

 

Psalm 103:8-12 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.