Today I spent the day with my two precious grandchildren. Within minutes of walking through their front door, I knew something was amiss. The littlest one was wrapped in her blankie and snugly tucked up into the arms of her uncle. Two runny noses and one breakdown on the floor with real tears, and I knew my two little lovies were feeling sick.
The morning was rough, with smiles only coming out when I miraculously found two dum dum suckers roaming around the bottom of my purse. (thank goodness I never clean that thing out) I was under strict instructions "no candy" but desperate times called for desperate measures! When I heard the "crunch" of the sucker between my grandson's teeth, I knew my stall technique was nearing its expiration date.
Sure enough 5 minutes later there was a catastrophic meltdown. The littlest one looked at her brother wrong, he looked at her wrong, the little one starts crying, my grandson starts crying LOUDLY, stomps his feet running all the way to his room and slams the door. I am left speechless, eyebrows raised, thinking wait.... what just happened? And..... he's only three and that was a total teenager move. Impressive. It only takes me four seconds to jump to my feet and make it to his door. When my hand turns the knob, it's locked. I can hear him sobbing loudly on his bed, and I don't need tell you how not a good idea it is to have an upset three year old behind a locked door. I NEEDED to get in there! Within ten seconds I had already scanned my brain for options. I could 1. pick the lock. ( but it's not my house and it would take me way to long to locate anything useful 2. break the door down (this would probably traumatize him) 3. demand he open the door. ( which never really works when a three year old is holding all the cards.) But something nudged in my spirit and I got down on my knees and spoke through the crack in the door frame. "Pumpkin pie, I love you. I want to take you in my arms and tell you how special you are." The loud sobbing stopped just as abruptly as it started. The littlest one pattered over to the door and joined me. "You need a great big hug and lots of loving." The door swung open and seeing his little sister he swooped her up in his arms.
Isn't that what we all need on a bad day? A day when we feel lousy and touchy? We need to be loved right where we are at. We don't need a lecture or a "buck up mister", we need grace. That is exactly the kind of love and compassion that God gives us. Broken bodies, broken hearts and broken dreams find refuge and mercy in God's arms. He calls out to us in a tender loving voice, " come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. " Matthew 11:28. And my favorite verse of all time "God draws near to the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18
We have this great opportunity to show others God's great gift of mercy and grace. We can model to our children or grandchildren, that no matter where they are at, that our loving arms and God's embrace can bring comfort and acceptance even on a dark day.
The dum dum sucker may have only lasted a minute, but the grace that was served up that day, will be etched on my grandson's heart forever.
