I have always lived under the assumption that I knew in black and white when, where, and how to discipline those in my family and people that work for me. The assumption is deeply engrained into my thinking, affecting my actions and decisions. Facing the plain fact that I am in reality clueless is very painful, disconcerting, and unnerving!
How do I respond to someone challenging my authority? How do I treat someone who hurts others, especially when they may not realize just what is happening as they act? What is my response to situations where somebody is in trouble?
The examples of this playing out in life are many. Recently I watched a sister commenting on her sibling’s ability to do something, a friend making a sarcastic comment in the presence of the victim, and a stranger inflicting pain on somebody close to them. Ironically we tend to ignore the real impact, thinking this the reality that people need tough skins for. But is this the truth?
I am thankful to Carli for revealing my arrogance. I am, for the first time, in a position to understand God’s anguish over my failures and excursions. I find myself in awe at God’s response to me; I see it as a model that I can follow in relating to everyone I meet or touch. The plain facts are there for me to see if I am willing. We are all children of God. We are keepers for each other. We do have an obligation to take care of people we meet or come in contact with.
Just imagine what this world could and will be like, a world where people are living out God’s mercy and acceptance in their lives. “In the place where they yelled out, ‘You’re nobody!’ they’re calling you ‘God’s living children.” (Romans 9.26)
I desperately want you and Carli to know that God’s loves you beyond you wildest imagination. I believe this plain fact changes everything. Everything is colored and shaped by this fact. Life is a rainbow; we are God’s sculpture!
