Imagine you are on a boat with your child. Now imagine your child falls in the water. Fear envelops you. As far as you reach, your arms can not grasp them. The water is deep, and they are scared. Unless they get help death is inevitable. Out of the corner of your eye you see a life ring bouy within your reach. Do you throw it to them, or just keep watching?
You are probably thinking this is a bit mellow dramatic Devonne. Of course you would give them a device that would save their life, no question. Why did I feel the need to give you that visual? Well lets change it a bit. What if the deep waters they were drowning in was guilt and shame, and the bouy was self forgiveness. What if you forgot to throw them the bouy. Maybe you forgot it was there.
And here comes the part where I relate my ever so random analogy to a life lesson I learned recently. . . . .
His big blue eyes looked up at me. They were red and swollen from crying. I could see his heart broken in front of me. His sunken shoulders gave him the look that he had just been beaten. With shaky breath he said to me, "Mom, I'm trying not to off myself right now." It was a statement. As the sentence left his lips I couldn't believe what he was saying. His beautiful life flashed in a moment before my eyes. All the moments big and small. Sure, he had messed up. He had lied. He was in trouble, but did he really think that that really called for death?! I realized in that moment that I had taught him about Christs forgiveness of sins. I had taught him how we, his parents, will always forgive him. But had I taught him, or even talked about how to forgive himself? And there was that bouy sitting on the boat that I had forgotten to mention. I wrapped my big boy up in my arms as quick as I could. I prayed quickly that my words would be the Lords and bury deep in his heart. "Son, those feelings are not from the Lord. You have a good heart, and it is broken right now. You are sorry, and you are forgiven Now you need to forgive yourself, and sometimes that's the hardest part." We cried together, and we prayed together. We talked about that bouy that had been there all along. Our children have a lot of pressure on them. As young Christian men and women this world is a scary place. Do they know they will make mistakes? Do they know to forgive themselves? Have we taught them?
I do not share this to embarrass my child. I write because for some time now I have felt I needed to share this with my Christian mamas. Because I never want anyone to hear those words out of their kiddos lips. Let us teach them to forgive their mistakes. Acknowledging that it is hard to forgive ourselves, but with Christs help we can.
Many prayers moms. Don't forget the bouy is there.
You are probably thinking this is a bit mellow dramatic Devonne. Of course you would give them a device that would save their life, no question. Why did I feel the need to give you that visual? Well lets change it a bit. What if the deep waters they were drowning in was guilt and shame, and the bouy was self forgiveness. What if you forgot to throw them the bouy. Maybe you forgot it was there.
And here comes the part where I relate my ever so random analogy to a life lesson I learned recently. . . . .
His big blue eyes looked up at me. They were red and swollen from crying. I could see his heart broken in front of me. His sunken shoulders gave him the look that he had just been beaten. With shaky breath he said to me, "Mom, I'm trying not to off myself right now." It was a statement. As the sentence left his lips I couldn't believe what he was saying. His beautiful life flashed in a moment before my eyes. All the moments big and small. Sure, he had messed up. He had lied. He was in trouble, but did he really think that that really called for death?! I realized in that moment that I had taught him about Christs forgiveness of sins. I had taught him how we, his parents, will always forgive him. But had I taught him, or even talked about how to forgive himself? And there was that bouy sitting on the boat that I had forgotten to mention. I wrapped my big boy up in my arms as quick as I could. I prayed quickly that my words would be the Lords and bury deep in his heart. "Son, those feelings are not from the Lord. You have a good heart, and it is broken right now. You are sorry, and you are forgiven Now you need to forgive yourself, and sometimes that's the hardest part." We cried together, and we prayed together. We talked about that bouy that had been there all along. Our children have a lot of pressure on them. As young Christian men and women this world is a scary place. Do they know they will make mistakes? Do they know to forgive themselves? Have we taught them?
I do not share this to embarrass my child. I write because for some time now I have felt I needed to share this with my Christian mamas. Because I never want anyone to hear those words out of their kiddos lips. Let us teach them to forgive their mistakes. Acknowledging that it is hard to forgive ourselves, but with Christs help we can.
Many prayers moms. Don't forget the bouy is there.
