A Clean Slate

For love.  You love us with a depth that is unfathomable to us. You see.  You delight to watch us grasp in growing measure how great Your love is.   You know. You know that as we experience Your love, we will turn with deepening commitment to You. You know that as we receive Your forgiveness, that our comprehension of Your love will increase, even when we have consequences to our sin.

And as You love, You call us to love.

Father, help us love our children the way You love us.  With a depth that astounds them.  With experiences that assure them.  With forgiveness that demonstrates our commitment, to them and to You.

Forgiving is a way to love our children.  Sometimes they’ll ask us; sometimes we need to tell them that they need to ask us; and sometimes they won’t know that they’ve offended us.  “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'” (Luke 23.34)

Holding an offense benefits neither our child or us.  Sometimes we don’t even know we’re carrying one – Our child yells at us, calls us names, ignores us, or disobeys us.  Wipe the slate clean through the grace and love of God:  “God, I  give you this offense.  I lay it at the foot of Your cross.  I choose to forgive her.  I choose to wipe the slate clean.”

Thank you for the cross, God.  Thank you Jesus for dying for us and our children.  Thank you for Your Power in Forgiveness.