A few things to end the week

So this morning I am finding myself singing the old John Denver song….Hey it’s Good to be Back Home Again..sometimes this old house feels like a long lost friend, so hey it’s good…to be back home again.

And you can thank me later if those lines rattle around in your head.  All. Day.

I spent time with the band of brothers yesterday.

After dinner,  I helped Rachel with their baths.

Graham unloaded his day for her in snippets of information that I had already heard.

I watched and listened as she processed the good, the bad and the ugly.

As I bathed Emmett, she was drying Graham off when he shared some choice words from one of his classmates that climaxed with some sort of reference to Graham having mosquitos in his underpants.

While we can chuckle at such in light of all the garbage he is still spared from being exposed to, you can imagine his tired mommy trying to use this for a teachable moment.

Rachel commented that this fellow wasn’t using nice words and seemed to be making poor choices.

When Graham wanted to know what action to take should this happen tomorrow, she did the hard thing.

The right thing.

She reminded him what Jesus said about loving our enemies and praying for those who are mean to us, and how He forgave those who nailed Him to the cross.

I may have bowed my head and thanked God for the blessing of overhearing this whole conversation.

I may have thanked Him to be reminded in a tender way that where evil abounds….grace abounds more.

And more.

And even more <3

May the Lord bless you today with no one making any kind of derogatory comment about your underpants …. but if they do… remember….

Jesus, the One you and I follow….

said….

You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’

and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’

I’m challenging that.

I’m telling you to love your enemies.

Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.

When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer,

for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.

Matthew 5:44-46 The MSG