"Expecting Forgiveness"

I have to share a story with you today about my son. This incident occured this last week, and it reminded me of how we have come to approach God so many times in our lives. It made me laugh, and I hope it makes you laugh too!

Last week, my kids were up here with me at work while I was finishing up a couple of things. A co-worker, and friend, asked if it would be okay for her to give the kids a few keys that she believed didn't go to anything important anymore. Before agreeing, knowing my two kids very well, I sat them both down and we had a talk. I said, "You may have those keys to play with as long as we understand that we don't put those keys in any doors around the office, or any doors around our house." They smiled and quickly agreed (should the smiles have given anything away?). She gave them the keys and we went home.

The next morning my son comes into the room and says, "Hey dad! Guess what? (He's very excited!)" I said, "What?!" He replies, "You know those keys that we got yesterday? Well, two of those keys, fit my door. And dad, one of those keys...it even locks my door (he says as he is shaking his head and smiling with total pride and confidence)." I just stared at him for a moment. Then I calmly asked, "So, are you telling me that you took those keys I specifically asked you not to put in any door in the house, and then you put them into a door in the house?" (My son tells on himself all of the time.) He dropped his shoulders, stuck out his bottom lip, and quietly bowed his head. Then he mumbled, "I'm sorry daddy."

I was trying so hard not to laugh at this point. "Go get me those keys," I told him. "Why? Are you going to take them away?", he asked. "Absolutely," I replied. "I specifically asked you not to put them into any doors and you disobeyed me. So, now those keys are mine." He slowly, and very reluctantly, retreived and passed over the keys. He began to walk away sad and defeated. Then, all of a sudden he turned to me and said, "Dad, could you please come unlock my door?" I lost it! I could not help but laugh. I tried so hard (unsuccessfully) to keep a straight face, but it was too funny.

As I thought about it over the weekend, we are so much like this with our heavenly father. There are so many things in life we know we are not supposed to do, but we do it anyway. I believe Paul says it best in Romans 7:18-20 (NLT):

"No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it."

The things we know we should do (being obedient), we don't. The things we know we shouldn't do (being disobedient), we do. And every time we do what we shouldn't, we hear that little voice within us (as if it were God) saying, "So, you did just what I asked you not to do?" And just like my son, we turn to God and ask, "Can you forgive me anyway? Can you come unlock this door that I seemed to be trapped behind? Can you let me into the room filled with your love, grace, and mercy?" My son knew that he had done the wrong thing, but he still expected to be forgiven and set free anyway. How many times do I, do we, approach God with the same kind of attitude? I know I have done the wrong thing, but I expect he will forgive me anyway.

Interestingly enough...he does! We serve an amazing, loving God don't we. By the way, after I stopped laughing, I unlocked the door. God bless you guys and have a great week!