Hello readers,
Flint JAHbone here with another cerebration. Being a parent of 2 I’ve been able to see, only a fraction (if that) of course, how God has to deal with His children. This isn’t a deep theological blog, or is it? It’s simply that I’m a minister and have often taken life lessons and experiences and flipped them into sermons. So let me begin and let’s cerebrate good times, c’mon!
I was playing with my kids in their room one day, and we were actually wrestling. I was getting my hind end handed to me as my 6, then 5, year old and my 4, then 3, year old dropped elbows and jumped off of the “top ropes” to crush and pin me. The youngest got bored and started off down the hallway. She stopped at the banister and started to look through them to the empty floor below. I was watching her from about 12 feet away when she jumped on it and slipped through, barely holding on with one little arm. Though this drop is only about 4 feet, this could have been a rough injury should she land on the hardwood flooring. I panicked and jumped to my feet and bolted out of the room to grab her. I got to her and reached through and abruptly pulled her to safety and embraced her tightly. The act of me grabbing and pulling her through, scared her more than anything, but it probably was jarring and a little rough on her little sides. She began, in her little, hard-to-understand, 3 year-old voice, to explain how she was upset because daddy hurt her. Upon trying to explain to her how it would have been much, much worse had daddy not grabbed and “saved” her from what was coming. She wouldn’t have any of it, because based on her perspective, she was fine and I hurt her.
As I was trying to think of how to explain it further, God really spoke to me. The impression I got was that He was trapped in the same position sometimes and that even though He’s had to hurt me, or allow me to be hurt, whichever fits your theology better, it’s often much better than what was going to take place, or happen or hurt me worse. Thought my little girl was devastated that daddy hurt her and though she ran to her room upset with me, I knew I had done what was necessary to keep her from a far worse harm. Often times we’re angry with God for things that happen in this world, and “more importantly” things that happen in our world, and really it’s Him metaphorically grabbing us abruptly and pulling us to safety. Though we feel injured and we can’t be convinced otherwise, God has done us a great service and saved us from something much, much worse. He’s a great God, and a perfect Father. If I, being evil, do what’s right for my kids, and do whatever it takes to keep them from the greater of 2 evils, how much more does our Heavenly Father do what’s right, no matter how it feels, to keep us from the greater of 2 evils? He’s awesome, loving and a better dad than any of us.
So like I wish my little one would do for me, give Him a break and thank Him, when in trials, that this will not only make us stronger, but that He saved us from something much, much worse.
Good analogy, I don’t think many Christians REALLY understand how great a salvation they have. How much they have really been saved from, the world, Satan, sin and SELF. Keep writing.
Good one