Andrew and I both had major parenting fails today. Not even parenting fails, but just major failures in any arena, to be frank. It was a scary day in the Laparra household. Here's why:
1. Andrew almost started the house on fire.
2. I almost let our daughter drown.
Thankfully, almost is the keyword here. We messed up big today, BUT there was lots of grace, and the house didn't burn down and Sybil is just fine.
A careless match thrown into a trashcan stuffed with paper, filled our house with smoke during breakfast this morning. Luckily, Andrew smelled it with his Superman nose--we were in the kitchen cooking after all, and there was smoke in there too. He ran to the bathroom, grabbed the trash can and ran it outside to the fire pit, where he dumped it safely. We spent all day trying to get the smoke out of the house.
Then at bath time, Sybil was disobeying. She was standing up in the tub and almost falling, so I spanked her (yes, we spank). She usually has a quick cry and then starts to obey. But today she was especially irritable and decided to throw a full-out fit. She was screaming in the bathtub and then just laid down face-first and inhaled a bunch of water. I had looked away for a second because Andrew was on Facetime with us. When I looked back at her and saw her under water, I dropped the phone and picked her up. She was jerking and having a hard time breathing--and still screaming, or at least trying to. I hung up on Andrew and wrapped her up in a towel and just held her until she calmed down.
She was pretty chill the rest of the night. I think it scared her as much as it scared me.
But as I was thinking about all of this today, I realized we are probably moments and inches away from tragedy every day. Any day, my child could drown or my husband could die in a car accident or my friend could get cancer, etc. Because we live in such a fallen and broken world, these things can (and do) happen whenever. However, because we serve a God who is gracious, these things don't happen as often as they could. It was ALL grace today when my house didn't burn down and my child didn't drown. I am just sure that God is protecting his children through out the day--preventing a car accident here, snuffing out a fire just in time there, etc. If we could only see all He ISN'T allowing to happen to us, I'm sure we'd be filled with gratitude at his protection on our lives.
We deserve death. This is a biblical fact. We are all depraved and not one of us can do good. We have sinned against a righteous God and He cannot tolerate us. But, thank God he sent Jesus in our place. Because Christ has lived the life we couldn't live, and died the death that we deserve, and rose from the grave, we don't have to die now. That's major grace. And anything past that? Still grace, more grace.
As Christmas nears, my joy grows fuller as I look to the Christ who came (and comes, and is coming). Everywhere I look I see signs of grace--all from Him, the source of life and grace. I'm so thankful we have a gracious God...and that my house didn't burn down, and my child didn't drown. Amazing grace.
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