“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness”

2 Corinthians 12:8-9

It was a cold winter morning, and she had been home sick for three days. My little girl had been fighting off the flu, and this was to be her first day back to school. I understood this could be a challenge, so I woke her up with happy kisses, soft music, and breakfast already on the table. I said my morning prayers and affirmations, had my cup of coffee; “Today was going to be a good day!” That was, however, until we walked to the bus stop, tears streaming down her face, and an adamant, “I don’t want to go to school! Mommy, please! I don’t want to go to school!” Naturally, the only thing I could do was to beg and plead that it was, in fact, going to be a great day, she could do this! As I explained all the wonderful things that were going to happen, she planted herself on that last step going up the stairs to the bus, sobbing words of resistance to go to school. With the bus driver staring at us, making his passive attempt to coax her, the negative thoughts began to pour into my psyche: “I HAVE to go to work today; I’ve had three days off already. I HAVE to do homework and a few chores before work. I HAVE to take a shower and get myself ready. I don’t have time to get her in the car, calm her down, drive the mile to the school, wrestle the monstrosity that IS the traffic at elementary school morning drop off! I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!” But I can’t just leave her on that step. I can’t have the bus driver sitting there staring at me, hoping I make a decision quickly before he’s late on his route. So I grabbed my child, and we walked back home. The blood began to pool in my face as the negative thoughts and rage began to make my head spin. I was MAD.

What did I do from there? I sat my daughter down, gave her a simple task to keep her busy for five minutes, and I took that shower. Despite it being reduced by a good ten minutes, I said a prayer, and I felt myself begin to calm. I had an option. I had the choice to yell, belittle, maybe even spank my child because of the inconvenience she caused me, or, OR, take a moment of self-reflection and understand that this was just one of many times my little girl is going to frustrate me. And, most   importantly, it wasn’t personal. It was her own struggle. It was her still not feeling 100% healed from her illness. It was fear of going back to school and facing her friends after three days off. I could have been negative, feeding on my own anger, but I made the choice to understand and to take a positive approach. After my shower, I calmly explained that I was frustrated, and told her why. I then gave her the floor to express her own feelings. At the end of it, she made it to school, I made it to work, and our relationship was stronger because I chose to be loving and kind, instead of spewing anger. I showed her grace.

God experiences moments like these, probably on a daily basis with me. He has a plan for us, but because we are human, we fail Him constantly. However, He shows us mercy when we disobey Him. He certainly showed me His grace and mercy both on that morning with my daughter. He forgave me for the anger I felt toward my daughter, and then He gave me the gift of sharing that   forgiveness with her. Paul experienced a similar moment of clarity when he asked God to remove a thorn given by Satan. God replied with “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).

Prayer:

Contributed by Brittany Diaz