Monday, November 29

Isaiah 1:10-20

Psalms 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Luke 20:1-8

The morning commute started with its usual banter – “Did you remember your show-and-tell?” “Can we have spaghetti for dinner?” “My favorite letter is W!” - as the girls settled into their morning backseat play time. I had my eyes on the road, planning my day, making my mental list of things to get done. At some point a headless doll emerged from under somebody’s car seat, and Keatyn (our five year old) declared in a very stern voice, “Mommy, I am very mad about Karsyn pulling my doll’s head off!” And her little sister retorted in the voice of a cherub with the logic that only two year olds possess, “I’m not mad, I’m Karsyn!” As a parent, how do you begin to respond to that? On the one hand I wanted to rally around Keatyn and declare how unfair toy damage inflicted by younger siblings is. And on the other hand, I had to stifle a giggle (so as not to encourage errant behavior from our “little ray of sunshine”) because her bold outburst that she wasn’t mad was a reminder to me that I choose how I respond to everything that happens to me and around me.

In Psalm 7 David was grateful that God was righteous. As children of God we never have to worry that someone will pull the wool over God’s eyes – HE who is I AM cannot be snowed! When the questions arise, and we wonder if anyone out there is fair or honest – rest assured that He sees everything and He knows our hurt. And unlike the commuting mother of two (who doesn’t know whether to laugh or write an Advent meditation about the situation) God longs to sit with you, He wants to hear your hurt and He always has and IS the right answer.

KariAnn Lessner