Changes

Lately I've been thinking about God's love toward me and others. It's starting to become easier to extend grace to people as my own experience of God's grace to me has deepened.

Last night something happened where I saw a change in my thought process.

As I was driving my 15-yr old son, Daniel, home he told me about a man at church who had been trying to encourage Daniel in something good but Daniel found himself feeling angry. When I asked Daniel to tell me about it he explained that this guy is the other drummer for Sunday morning worship service with whom he trades off. Even if it's a week when the other one is drumming, both Daniel and the other drummer, as well as the rest of the worship team, always get to church 2hrs before the first service and practice. Daniel is aware that he is a good drummer but he can always get better. The man was telling Daniel that he should practice every single day. I asked Daniel if he'd explained about his schedule (leaves to school at 6:20AM, home after school & sports practice at 6:50PM, eats dinner with family, studies, goes to bed with only 7-8hrs until he's up the next morning) and Daniel said yes but that the man had explained his own busy schedule where he works all day and goes to school at night.

In the past I would have either told Daniel that he should be focused and practice every day or I would have said the guy is a rigid jerk. But this time I was different. I heard myself telling Daniel that the man just doesn't understand yet that God loves us right where we are at, just how we are. That we don't have to impress God or earn His love. That God wants what is best for us, that He actually wants us to take care of ourselves so of course He doesn't want Daniel, as a growing teen, to get less than 7hrs sleep each night. That Daniel is where he is supposed to be, doing what he is supposed to do, right now and he can rest in God. Daniel just looked at me kind of weird.

Are there areas in your life where you see yourself changing? Share about one.