“Oh no!” I moaned out loud, spotting my son’s math homework on the kitchen counter. More than once I had reminded Derek to put the papers in his school bag so he wouldn’t forget them, and obviously he hadn’t obeyed me.
What shall I do? I wondered. Actually, I knew what I was supposed to do. Nothing. According to all the parenting books, parents are not supposed to assume responsibility for their children’s mistakes. They are supposed to let them learn from their mistakes by allowing them to suffer the natural consequences of their actions.
I ached thinking of the embarrassment and disappointment my son would feel when he discovered he didn’t have his homework, and I had to talk myself out of driving to school. I shared my feelings with a friend who said, “I faced the same problem one day last week, but I took Jana’s homework to her and used it as an opportunity to teach her the meaning of grace. She knew she didn’t deserve the delivery service, but I did it simply because I love her. God does the same for us all the time.”
It was too late for me to deliver the math papers to school, but I knew I’d have another chance.
I look forward to sharing the lesson I just learned about grace.
