Where is God When ... You Make Mistakes

My 3 1/2-year-old son, Will, and I went to see my grandmothers this morning at the nursing home where they both live. Although it had been a while since Will had gone, he knew exactly what to do when he got there.

He walked in toting a gerber daisy that I got for one of my grandmothers. He was so proud. "GiGi will be really surprised, won't she, Mamma," he asked on his way in the doors. I assured him that she would.

As we walked to her room, one of the sweet ladies that we always see who isn't always mentally sharp said hello. She started talking about how sweet Will was and how cute she was. She then extended her wrinkled hands in his direction, asking for a hug.

I was afraid of his response, prepared to see a frightened little boy overwhelmed by a stranger. Instead, Will walked up to her, put himself in her arms and even allowed her to kiss his forehead, most assuredly making her day.

When we saw both of my grandmothers - both of his great grandmothers - he was happy and jovial and full of life. He was happy and loving and kissed and hugged them both, which was totally uninitiated by me. As if his funny personality wasn't enough ... now he had me eating out of the palm of his hand with adoration at his thoughtful kindness to people who needed it the most.

Also while we were there, though, Will was somewhat ornery. As you can imagine, it is a funny joke to disobey Mommy when everyone is watching, especially when you are 3 1/2. I told him repeatedly to get out of the dirty floor and to stand up, to which he would fall limp and dissolve in giggles and he lay on the floor. I was no doubt irritated and scolded him.

As we walked out to the the car, he initiated a heart-felt apology.

"Mommy, I'm sorry I did bad things in there," he told me, his hand in mine.

"It's OK, Will. I forgive you. Please just do a better job listening and obeying next time."

"OK, Mommy. I am really sorry. I promise I will be a good boy."

We loaded in the car and took off, headed for the next stop. About 5 minutes into our trip, I started praising Will for his sweet kindness at the nursing home. I told him how proud of him I was that he was so sweet to his GiGi and Gram, and even the other nice lady he didn't know.

"But I did bad things there, Mommy," his little voice said from the back.

"Oh, Will. It's OK. I forgave you for that."

"I know Mommy, but I did bad things. I am really sorry and I promise to be a good boy."

"Will," I said. "I forgave you. It is over. I have forgotten about it. Now let's just remember all the good things you did."

Later I thought of the words Will and I had shared with each other and how similar they are to the words God says to me.

"I'm so sorry God. I disobeyed. I sinned. I fell short of the way you created me. I made a big mistake and I am so sorry."

Although I don't usually hear God's voice aloud, I know His response to me always is, "You are forgiven. It is finished. I have forgotten your sins. They are as far as the East is from the West. Focus on me and all will be well."

But I find myself dwelling on my mistakes and failures. I can't seem to remember the things I have done well. I can't seem to remember my service to God, my family, my friends, my church. I can't seem to remember that God has already forgiven me.

Do you ever find yourself in this situation? Repeatedly apologizing for something you did that YOU can't let go of? If we could only remember that God has forgiven us. He forgave us when He sent His only son to die on a cross for our sins. In John chapter 3 verse 16, it says, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

And just as we love our own children or our own family and are able to forgive them over and over - sometimes for the same thing over and over - God continually forgives us our sins. We do not have to pay the price. Jesus already did that.

Colossians 2:13-14 "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross."

Psalm 103:12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

Isaiah 43:25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again."

Romans 8:1-2 "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death."

Romans 8:31-39 "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."