A Lesson in Forgiveness

Yesterday at church, two of Warren's church buddies, at two different times, so sweetly said "Hi Warren" in passing.  Warren gave some sort of a grunt and hid behind my leg.  Incredibly rude and totally embarrassing!

I talked with Warren later about the incident and tried explaining to him that it's just the polite thing to do to speak to others.  I also said that if he kept acting like that, he wasn't going to have any friends.  Then, I asked him how he would feel if he said "Hi" to them and they were rude like he was.  While nothing should surprise me with him, I still am never prepared.  Warren immediately looks up at me (and to add to the atmosphere, we're walking hand in hand in a parking lot) and says "Mommy, I would forgive them.  That's what Jesus wants us to do is to forgive people.  So, I would just forgive them, because I know they probably didn't mean it."

Well, of course that instantly melted my heart.  And I realized how right he was.  And, like most parents, I started thinking "Awww, how cute is that?  My four year old is teaching me a lesson in forgiveness."

Then, as I thought about it more....I began to realize....we've got one smart boy on our hands.  He knows just what to say to a) get him off the hook and b) make me stop dead in my tracks and think he's the best kid ever!  Well, it worked.  And, although I know he was probably "playing the system"....I'm going to choose to believe he was teaching me a lesson about forgiveness.

The Bible says in Matthew 18:3 "...unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of God."