Do-Over?

It was barely 8:30 around the breakfast table- sort of early for questions like this one. I was sitting in my usual spot, book opened, ready to “spiritually train” my children. Just a few days before, we had discussed things like jealousy, envy, greed, selfishness-- you know, those things that come so easily, so naturally, so often. This particular morning we were to tackle revenge. I don’t know about your kids but these subjects don’t require a song and dance to get Julia and Brighton’s full attention. It’s juicy stuff to them-- the “hush hush” kind of behavior-- walking on the wild side by just merely talking about it-- sort of like potty talk. Rapt. After breakfast prayers over steamy oatmeal, their ears were perked and ready to hear more stories about naughty children. We covered a few scenarios of children exercising their sin nature like breaking someone’s beloved toy on purpose, taking a toy from someone’s home without asking, tripping a person to delight in their fall, or saying something to hurt someone’s feelings on purpose. I used my name in some and their names in others causing sideways glances, giggles and smirks. So, of course, we read in Luke 6 how God tells us to respond-- in kindness, blessing and praying for those who hurt us. Julia was still enjoying her oatmeal, but Brighton had put his spoon down. At first, I couldn’t tell if this was computing or not. Was it the testosterone or his strong sense of justice? I could tell by the look on his face the instruction of not getting revenge was

as alien to him as it was to the people Jesus shared it with first. We talked through it several times, walked back through the scenarios and reviewed how Jesus asked us to respond. My six year old looked awfully disappointed. He stared, he squirmed, he sighed and finally, he spoke.....very seriously as though his next snack depended on it,

“Is this my fake life or my real life?”

Now it was my turn to stare and squirm. “What?? What do you mean ‘fake’?”

“You know, like PRACTICE. You go back to heaven and come back as a baby and get to do it again?”

My answer gave him no comfort of trying to get this strange act of “being kind to those who hurt you” right........... now. Not later, not tomorrow, not in his “do-over” life, but now.

Dreaming of a "do-over" in my childhood bed in Soperton........