Our Father and Stain Remover

I knew this was going to happen.

What I didn’t expect was the truth that struck me afterwards, at my kitchen sink.

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This is not a terribly unique story.

I have a two year old.  This is the third time I’ve had a two year old, so I knew what I was getting myself into.  I served her a dinner of spaghetti, followed by a bowl of chocolate ice cream.  Without a bib.  With her outfit still on.

I knew this was going to happen, this absurdly stained little dress that I’m now holding over the kitchen sink.  But I wanted so strongly to let her try.

So I did, and now she’s splashing around, carefree, in her bath, oblivious to how I’m trying to scrub two of the most staining foods in existence out of this little dress.

That’s when it occurred to me - this is what it’s like when God says he is my Father and I am his child and “his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Because I’m going to keep scrubbing things out of this little girl’s dresses over and over and over as she learns and grows, and I’m not even upset about it. Because I love her. Because I want to give her chances to explore and learn and practice skills.  Even though I know, with 100% certainty, that it’s going to be messy and she’s going to need me to clean up after her.  And I will persist and get those stains out, and tomorrow I’ll help her put on fresh clean clothes that she doesn’t even think twice about.

Isn’t that a picture of how our Heavenly Father treats us?

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. Psalm 103:13

He knows us - he created us and billions of other unique humans.  He anticipates that we will always make a mess of everything.  That we’re totally incapable of doing things the way he wants us to.  But every day he wakes us up and gives us chances, allows us to try our best.  And when we inevitably make a disaster of ourselves, he forgives and forgives and forgives.  Instead of his wrath we get a bright set of new clothes - his Son’s righteousness to replace our sinful stains.  

And he will do it every day, tirelessly. Because he loves us. 

Give thanks to the God of the heavens.  For his mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:26