When I was 17 years old I decided to skip school without my parents permission. This was a big no-no in my house. Once as a child I had a fever of well over 100 and but my dad sent me anyway, mumbling something about the importance of my education. He gave me two aspirin and told me to tough it out. An hour later the nurse was calling my father asking him to leave work and come pick me up. He was so mad when he got in the car, I thought he was going to kill me! He yelled at me saying, "You didn't even give the aspirin time to work!" Safe to say I learned my father was quite passionate about my being at school when it was open!
But I chose to skip anyway, choosing to spend time with some friends from a different school district who happened to be on a day off. Because this was such a rare thing, the attendance secretary, who knew me from church, didn't give it a second thought. I had just gotten away with the perfect crime, or so I thought.
After a few days, I began to feel guilty for skipping class. I know that probably sounds crazy to you, but I knew how passionate my parents were about my school attendance. I had clearly disobeyed their wishes, and I felt like God was asking me to apologize. After wrestling with this concept for several days, I accepted my fate and came home to confess. I told my mom first-she was almost always the softy. I hoped that would be enough, but she said the words I feared most at that moment: "You have to tell your father."
I still remember going into my parent's room. I told my dad what I'd done, and I waited for my world to fall. I'll never forget his response, "You've been carrying this around for two weeks now?" I nodded nervously. "Well I guess you've suffered enough." With that, he was done. I looked at my mother, her mouth hanging open in shock, and thought to myself, "this can't be!"
That day I was surprised by my dad's grace, and today I'm awed by my Father's grace. Only a loving, compassionate God would think of the needs of the outcast. Only a God of mercy would create a place of refuge for those condemned by others bent on revenge. I'm so grateful he's the God of both justice and mercy, and that his will is trustworthy.
I've never really paid much mind to this passage until today, but I'm so glad I was reminded of our Father's character.
So may you choose forgiveness rather than revenge, and may you be surprised at God's grace and mercy in his dealings with you!
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