Thoughts for the Day

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
 who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
 who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s ....

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger for ever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him;
 as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

(Lectionary New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Our family had a strange Easter once when I was based in Worcester. We returned from the cathedral Good Friday Service having created a 'Good Friday Garden'. Our two boys went out to the nearby play park while my husband prepared lunch, and I reviewed a sermon. However the boys returned in a short while, our eldest son had been hurt on some play equipment. After four hours at the hospital he returned with a stitched chin. Then two days later on Easter Day, after Church, the same thing happened again, and we spent another four hours in A&E with the same son. This time he had broken his arm on a roundabout. The nurses greeted him by name and a "What have you done now?" I was very glad he was old enough to explain what had happened and we parents weren't accused of child-abuse!

Moral: We love and care for our children, but we can't protect them from all the decisions they make as children or adults, neither can we wrap them in cotton-wool! (Only decades later did they own up to the mischief they'd got up to!)

Psalm 103 blesses God for all He does for us. However, here's a thought - we have free-will and we make our own decisions - and we parents cannot always save our own children from their mistakes. So, how can we expect our Heavenly Father to save us if we choose to disregard recommendations not to swim in dangerous places, or if we refuse to be vaccinated against certain diseases. Maybe we need not just to bless God for all He does in rescuing us from our mistakes but also be more careful about what we get up to in the first place.

Lord God,
we thank You that You love us,
and care for us a parent
cares for their child.
Forgive us when we make mistakes
and go our own way,
and teach us how to listen to You
and accept Your ways.
Amen.