What I'll Remember...

The other day the boys and I were getting ready to head out of the house, which is always an adventure...to say the least.  I walked into our mudroom to see all the shoes spilled out of the shoe rack and all over the floor.  I was ready to place blame to the baby when I saw my oldest son Bowden, covering his head.

Dead giveaway that I had found the shoe scattering culprit.

I asked Bowden if he has taken all the shoes out. Simple question right? But, oh the hemming and hawing that followed! At this point my focus was no longer on the shoes, but on desperately willing my son to tell me the truth.

Have you ever had that moment? You can see the fight, the fork in the road that is in front of your child and you desperately want them to choose the right thing? I did what I think most parents would do and I reassured him that I wasn't going to get mad, but I just wanted to know the truth.

More hemming and hawing...

But then...

He copped to it. Told me the whole story and then paused to see what my reaction was going to be. I paused and prayed quickly, Lord how do I encourage him to keep telling the truth? Where do I bring the focus? Here is what He told me to do...

Tell Bowden what you are going to remember from this.

So I leaned over to Bowden and I told him, "Buddy, when I think about what just happened here, you want to know what I'm going to remember? I am NOT going to remember that you messed up all the shoes, I am going to remember that you chose to tell mommy the truth. And I am so pleased with you, and so proud of you."

God is pleased with you, and proud of you too.

Whatever it is that you find yourself hemming and hawing about in your mind, in your conversations with Him, hear Him saying this to you today...

"Beloved (cause you are more precious to Him that anything), when I think about what you just told Me, I am not going to remember what you messed up, what wrong choice you may have made, no, I won't remember that. I am going to remember that you trusted Me enough, you believed in my unfailing love for you enough, that you came to Me. That is what I will remember from this."

It's not that He forgets our sin, it's that He chooses to remember our growth. That is so powerful.

My prayer for you today is to let that truth wash over any pain, any hurt, any shame that you have. Go to Him in confidence knowing that His never ending grace, mercy, and compassion will be powerful and transformational in your life today.

Hebrews 8:12 (AMP)
“For I will be merciful and gracious toward their wickedness,
And I will remember their sins no more.”

Isaiah 43:25 (The Message)

“But I, yes I, am the one

    who takes care of your sins—that’s what I do.

    I don’t keep a list of your sins."

Psalm 103:8-12 (NIV)

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

    slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

    nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

    or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

    so great is his love for those who fear him;

 as far as the east is from the west,

    so far has he removed our transgressions from us."