Kiss It Better

 "It is through the Son, at the cost of his own blood, that we are redeemed, freely forgiven through that full and generous grace which has overflowed into our lives and opened our eyes to the truth."
Ephesians 1:7 (Phi)

Remember when you were little and you would fall and skin your knee and your mom or dad or some loving grown up would come and "kiss it better?" I'm not sure the pain in the knee was really better, but the pain in your heart sure was!

As little children, there was something so unexpected about falling down and getting hurt. One moment you were running along with the wind in your face and the world by the tail, and the next, you were on the cold hard ground, bloody and bewildered, wounded inside and out.

I fell down on my proverbial hands and knees yesterday. To add insult to injury, the thing that tripped me up was my own fault. I made a stupid and costly, but very UNintentional error. Doggone it, I so want to go back and unmake that dumb mistake, but I can't unmake it any more than I could unskin my knees as a little girl.

I can remember so many occasions when I wished the sidewalk or the driveway could be made of something soft so when you fell on it, you would just bounce back up with no skinned hands and knees. Now they make playground surfaces out of recycled tires and tennis shoes--my wish came true, just a long time after I needed it. However, yesterday, when I fell down, I landed on a very forgiving surface--my husband. It would have been very understandable for him to be angry, impatient, upset . . . instead, he was gentle, understanding and reassuring.

He kissed it better.

He was like Jesus.

This was just the reverse of the abrupt jolt of going from fun to injury--I went from feeling terrribly ashamed of my failure to feeling utterly encouraged and completely loved in the span of a 3 minute phone call. What a gift he gave me. What a gift God gave me in this amazing man!

What an example he set of the power we have to bless one another . . . or not.

I don't ever want to miss an opportunity to be that kind of blessing--may I always extend, not my own grace (which is very limited), but the grace of God. With the unfathomable grace God has showered on me, I have limitless resource to be gracious to others.

Who might need you to "kiss it better" today?

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 2:1 NIV