“Don’t look down, Mom!” Immediately, I wish my son hadn’t said that. I can’t help myself. My eyes drift to the expanse below and my feet wobble. What was I thinking when I agreed to do this? I try to regain my composure and remember my harness. The 4-story high ropes course stretches out before me, and I know there was only one way out: through it. If you fall, the harness will catch you. I tell myself this repeatedly as I inch across a rickety bridge that seems a mile long. My son Continue Reading
When Expectations Cloud Our View of God
I used to approach friendship with a long list of expectations. Things I thought a friend should do. A space I thought my friend should fill. Instead of extending grace, I was disappointed when friends didn’t follow through with what they said they’d do. I didn’t care whether they had kids and or whether the unexpected happened. All I saw was my set of rules. “A true friend wouldn’t do that.” “If she was your friend, she would keep her word.” What’s even sadder is I approached my Continue Reading
The Damage We Do When We Withhold Grace
They turn on each other in a New York minute. One second they’re playing nicely together, sharing toys, and laughing. The next I hear screams of “Mama!” as my six-year-old chases his younger sibling through the room. Part of me wants to just close the door and lock them in there. But I figure I should at least see if both kids are still alive. After I kneel down on the floor and get the scoop on what happened, I tell both boys to apologize. I am struck by how quickly they forgive each Continue Reading