Our sweet little redhead, Annabelle, LOVES the movie, Ariel (The Little Mermaid.) The other day she was watching it and after one of the songs, she asked, "What does reprimand mean?" A little backstory in case you don't really remember this movie...there is a song in the movie where Ariel is longing to get out of the sea and walk among the humans on the land. She sings a part that says, "I betcha on land, they'd understand that they don't reprimand their daughters..." Ok, so anyway, we respond with, "Well, it means to get in trouble when you make a wrong choice." Very quietly she responded, "I get reprimand alot."
Poor sweet thing! It really made us giggle to ourselves to see that she fully realizes the struggle that is going on. She knows the right thing to do and yet struggles daily to make those right choices. It is so hard for her to understand that 'getting in trouble' is completely separate from how we love her! She longs to please and do the right thing, yet there is a strong struggle in her soul to choose. I have learned that I have to show her how much I love her in the midst of those struggles...right in the middle of 'getting in trouble,' I have to stop for a minute and show her that I love her and that there is nothing she can do to stop or change my love.
And, I guess that bring me to my point...that I feel that way with my Savior! I truly long to do the right thing and yet, daily fail at that. I then feel myself pulling away from a perfect God, ashamed that, again, I couldn't do what I know is right. But, here is where I am wrong (again), He is so full of grace and mercy and pure unconditional love. He knows that I am going to mess up and he still loves me! So just as I have to be diligent and conscious to tell and show Annabelle that I love her, no matter what, I can also rest in knowing that God loves me too. How I know this is in Romans 8:38-39..."For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
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