Sharing a story : "Chastened and Loved"

I was reading my friend Tara's blog yesterday and she told a profound and touching story that has been so relative in my own life . I really don't need to say much... Tara says it beautifully.

Here is the link to her blog if you want to visit and read the whole post:

http://tara-bleperson.blogspot.com/2008/04/chastened-and-loved.html



Becoming a parent has also put on a new twist on how I see nearly every issue....especially those pertaining to "God and Spiritual things." (as the old tract would put it!) Just one of the ways that this happens, is that I see so clearly the relationship of God/Us in the light of Parent/Child.
Example: a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that Reagan was clenching something in his little hand. I walked over to him and pried his hand open. In it was a little piece of Sophie's hair barrette...broken. Worthless. Useless. BROKEN! But when I took it from him (mostly because in my motherly "omniscience" I knew he could/would choke on it), he began to cry and howl as though the world had come to an end. He ran after me, hand outstretched...pleading for that little broken piece of nothing, when I had a whole corner full of wonderful toys for him to play with!!!! Something about the scene stopped me dead in my tracks. I knew I was smack in the middle of a teachable moment: for myself and for my children. So I called all 3 of the older kids over...showed them the broken barrette....showed them the screaming toddler at my feet. My voice was actually breaking a bit as I asked them, " I wonder if God ever feels this way?" When He KNOWS that something is not good for us, and we demand it anyway, and look at Him as though He is cruel and with-holding good things from us. I wonder if His Father-heart breaks the way mine was in that moment as my little boy felt betrayed by me. Something makes me suspect strongly that that is exactly how God feels when He looks down at me...at us....struggling so ridiculously to hold on to that which is broken and useless.