Brutal Honesty and Microfibre’s Forgiveness
There is just something about a Two Year Old’s honesty that endears me to them. My daughter has a propensity for truth telling even when it casts her in a poor light.
A month ago I came down stairs to find “someone” had taken a pen and creatively left her John Hancock all over the living room couch . Although a day is coming when she could successfully blame it on her brother, or it could be a coin toss as to who caused that kind of damage, for now it is pretty obvious who the culprit is.
When I called her downstairs to “interrogate the witness,” she answered quickly with no pretense, “I did it, Mama…It’s my fault that I drewed on the couch.”
To that, I truly did not know what to say. After all, she was preaching to the choir! She solemnly accepted my reprimanding and looked appropriately remorseful, even cheerfully carrying out her punishment of helping Mommy scrub it off instead of enjoying her daily computer time (let me take a minute to say that MicroFibre is a Mom’s BEST friend when it comes to the combination of children and furniture!).
A week later as I was downloading pictures off my camera, I found this:
Not only had she “fessed up” in the moment, she had also previously documented her criminal actions for posterity!! When I showed her the photo, she had absolutely no recollection of the incident (or even the documentation of it), and happily went on her way…free of any guilt or self reproach. She had paid the price after all…she had done her "time" and today was a new day. What was I doing bringing up past sins?
With her, what you see is truly what you get. My two year old is not yet sullied by things such as pretense, facade and even dishonesty (YET). And although I will deal with that when it comes, for now I am trying to appreciate the pure humility of it all. If she is upset, I know about it…equally so if she is happy, afraid or hurt.
The truth of the matter is…she knows nothing of pride. Which I have learned over the past 34 years, is the root of so much sin in (my) life. The walls and facades people put up in the name of Self Image, the dishonesty we live with and accept, the frustration and anger we act upon when life’s circumstances are an inconvenience to our own perceived well-being, the ignorance we walk in – claiming we are doing nothing wrong - and refusing to give up control in so many areas of our life…it all comes down to pride!
It is no wonder Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:3niv).” Pride is arguably the greatest opposition to a life lived in the Spirit, walking with Jesus, submitted to Him and His plan for us.
I hope I can live more like a two year old in that respect (not to mention the self-restraint when it comes to food…a girl could really lose some weight on a diet like that!). Honestly confessing my mess-ups, cheerfully accepting the repercussions of my actions and then moving on with a life unconstrained by the guilt of past sin. A better person I would be, should I choose to act with openness and honesty in all situations, relating to others without pretense but in truth and with a genuine spirit; letting go of self and choosing all that Christ has for me in its place.
So easy to type, and a lifelong sacrifice to live out. A daily choice to forego pride in favour of the “childlike” spirit that is amenable to God’s loving correction, guidance and teaching…denying self in order to confess and face up to everything that is preventing me from walking into the fullness of His vision for me.
Because there is always forgiveness. After all…when it comes to Christ and Microfibre, all sins truly are washed away!
A month ago I came down stairs to find “someone” had taken a pen and creatively left her John Hancock all over the living room couch . Although a day is coming when she could successfully blame it on her brother, or it could be a coin toss as to who caused that kind of damage, for now it is pretty obvious who the culprit is.
When I called her downstairs to “interrogate the witness,” she answered quickly with no pretense, “I did it, Mama…It’s my fault that I drewed on the couch.”
To that, I truly did not know what to say. After all, she was preaching to the choir! She solemnly accepted my reprimanding and looked appropriately remorseful, even cheerfully carrying out her punishment of helping Mommy scrub it off instead of enjoying her daily computer time (let me take a minute to say that MicroFibre is a Mom’s BEST friend when it comes to the combination of children and furniture!).
A week later as I was downloading pictures off my camera, I found this:
Not only had she “fessed up” in the moment, she had also previously documented her criminal actions for posterity!! When I showed her the photo, she had absolutely no recollection of the incident (or even the documentation of it), and happily went on her way…free of any guilt or self reproach. She had paid the price after all…she had done her "time" and today was a new day. What was I doing bringing up past sins?
With her, what you see is truly what you get. My two year old is not yet sullied by things such as pretense, facade and even dishonesty (YET). And although I will deal with that when it comes, for now I am trying to appreciate the pure humility of it all. If she is upset, I know about it…equally so if she is happy, afraid or hurt.
The truth of the matter is…she knows nothing of pride. Which I have learned over the past 34 years, is the root of so much sin in (my) life. The walls and facades people put up in the name of Self Image, the dishonesty we live with and accept, the frustration and anger we act upon when life’s circumstances are an inconvenience to our own perceived well-being, the ignorance we walk in – claiming we are doing nothing wrong - and refusing to give up control in so many areas of our life…it all comes down to pride!
It is no wonder Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:3niv).” Pride is arguably the greatest opposition to a life lived in the Spirit, walking with Jesus, submitted to Him and His plan for us.
I hope I can live more like a two year old in that respect (not to mention the self-restraint when it comes to food…a girl could really lose some weight on a diet like that!). Honestly confessing my mess-ups, cheerfully accepting the repercussions of my actions and then moving on with a life unconstrained by the guilt of past sin. A better person I would be, should I choose to act with openness and honesty in all situations, relating to others without pretense but in truth and with a genuine spirit; letting go of self and choosing all that Christ has for me in its place.
So easy to type, and a lifelong sacrifice to live out. A daily choice to forego pride in favour of the “childlike” spirit that is amenable to God’s loving correction, guidance and teaching…denying self in order to confess and face up to everything that is preventing me from walking into the fullness of His vision for me.
Because there is always forgiveness. After all…when it comes to Christ and Microfibre, all sins truly are washed away!
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