Three Fathers Extend Grace

Yes, I know this is a very late #communitySaturday post.

I suppose there are any number of reasons, most of which probably don't matter; although it didn't help that I didn't really have a sense of direction early in the day before we were gone and all that followed.

By I think God is working this out, even as I type this, as it prompted me to remember that our engagement with the concept of community begins at home. For if you can't function in a "community" of people with whom you share a "few" hundred square feet of real estate, including the most personal of common areas such as eating and personal hygiene, then it's not hard to imagine you'll have trouble in other areas as well, whether it be on campus or in the corporation.

I just remembered this afternoon's conversation that could just have easily prompted this post, but it didn't. But now that I think about it, maybe I'll tie it back in.

So, the kids are supposed to be getting ready for bed. It's bedtime when they start. The oldest can't find the top that goes to the favorite pair of pajamas. Emotions start ramping up. Which shuts off the ability to hear what I'm saying. So, my frustration rises. Now, I'm up, trying to help locate this. And, no luck. Now we're having a conversation about not listening and not doing as told, and if this was taken care of, maybe it would not be an issue. Minutes pass and no avail. 10 and 20 later. More frustration. This is not looking good.

Parents, you know how this goes. Everyone is in a bad mood.
Finding it later isn't an option and I'm more ready for bed now, than they are.

So, now I'm spent. Time to talk with the oldest. Calmer heads need to prevail. It takes some more work, but one way or another, my message needs to be made clear. This ordeal and everything that got in the way, has to be rectified. The youngest enters the room, maybe 10 minutes later. This is now a teaching moment. after almost an hour has been spent from what was bedtime. And I use that word deliberately. This hour was not useful nor beneficial. Yes, I heard sorry, but that's like for getting caught, rather than true remorse.

No... the teaching moment is now an investment.

I'm offering my apologies to my kids in true remorse.

Perhaps we should pray, God helps us find this. Do you want to pray or you want me to? Oldest points. Right.
I pray. Prayer couldn't have lasted 90 seconds. Help us find this top; what matters to us, matters to you...and the bigger picture.... our attitudes, our words, our responsibilities... in Jesus name.

No kidding... less than two minutes later. Youngest kid walks up to me with pajama top in hand.

"Where was this?"

In the oldest's bed. The kid who told me a few minutes ago they saw it 3 weeks ago folded in the family room, apparently forgot they wore it to bed and took it off in bed, who knows how many days ago.

So, where's the prayer for this post and what's the tie-in you mentioned earlier?

Conversation between my dad and I during our visit for a few minutes this afternoon. He was having a rough day and my not buying the parts to fix my mower yet didn't help the conversation... which involved possibly fixing something else that we were looking at. I left in bad mood, he went back to whatever he was working on, no doubt more frustrated than before we had stopped by.

Towards the end of the conversation with the kids about the lost pajama's, Dad texted me. Offering his apologies and that he was ordering the parts for me. Yeah... upon God answering our prayer, I extended grace to the kids, because God gave us grace for the lost item that matters to the kid. And in the middle of me parenting my kids, I receive the same grace from my Dad.

And the reminder that, apparently, no matter how old you are, you're never done being a parent.
Nor, loving on your kids while teaching them important life lessons. :-)

While it is still #communitySaturday, pray that God would help us in the most basic realm of community: family. Pray that God would help us as parents, to reflect the love, grace and character of God to our children, especially in moments of instruction, correction and discipline. Pray for our kids, that they would understand the values of respect and responsibility, of care and compassion for both people and possessions. May God help us to be wise stewards of our time, our treasure and our talents. Pray that Godly values would be instilled for generations and that generational curses would be broken. Pray for the miraculous in homes of brokenness, despair and dysfunction and healing in the marriages that are of the same.

For how can God heal our land
If He doesn't not heal homes built upon it.
For we cannot treat community like family
If we don't learn how to be family with those who are just a few feet away.

- PNC