From the Mouth of Babes: Forgiveness

My son and I are going through some challenges at the moment. We love each other dearly and out of him and his brother - her is probably the most like me, so we clash sometimes ;-(

Today we spent some time together and I asked him if he would forgive me for making him feel or saying things that made him feel anything other than loved... In return he told me this story he had recently come across:

"There once was a professor who was teaching  forgiveness. He called a student to the front and gave him a glass and told him to break it. The student dutifully dropped it on the ground and it broke. The professor then asked the student to say sorry to the glass, in which he did. The professor asked the student - "Did saying sorry to the glass fix it?" The student said "No.".

The professor then said to the student - "Do you think you could fix it if you put the pieces together?" The student said "Yes" and proceeded proceeded to pick the pieces up and glue them back together. The student was then asked, "Is the glass fixed? Is the glass fit for purpose?", to which he shrugged his shoulders and said "I don't know." The professor then filled it with water and water leaked out through the cracks. He looked at the student and asked "did putting it back together fix it together fix it?" to which the young student said "No".
 

The professor said "leave it alone and go over there", and when the student had turned away, he asked, "Did you fix it by leaving it alone?". The young man said "no".

Then lastly, the professor said to the student - "Replace it", to which the student got another glass and replaced the broken one. The student was then asked "by replacing it - did you fix it?", to which he replied "No, I just replaced it."

The professor then said - this is what forgiveness is like."

I don't know if I was the glass or the student in this story but I certainly him nice and clearly and today out the mouth of babes I was schooled.

Yours in friendship,

Mxo

Lessons from a Mayfly

Mr M and I were sitting watching a nature show - if you are a follower of my blog - you know we love those programmes!!, and we were watching one by accident and we came across a tiny little insect called a Mayfly. I hate flies so I am sure I would hate one if I ever saw it - but I watched in utter amazement. Since then I have learnt that these little insects start as a little nymph and at a certain time in their life cycle - their tummies fill up with air and they float to the top. It is amazing watching them because if it's not timed right - and they float to the top of the water too early - they become someone's fodder..... Here are my lessons that I have learnt from a Mayfly. I know - lessons from a Mayfly!!

  

1) God is in control
So when a little nymph gets to the top it waits and at a certain temperature - an exact temperature - not a degree more or less - they morph into their next stage with wings.... It was amazing to see this calm water and then all of a sudden these little flies pop up everywhere - trillions of them!! What did I get from this - easy - God is in control. I mean an exact temperature - is an exact technicalityl! He created everything including perfect timing. Amazing.

The next things I learnt come from a mixture of the next stages in the Mayfly's life cycle.

2) Growing up changes you
The next stage in the life of a Mayfly sees them growing wings and flying. They look nothing like their previous stage yet they are the same insect. The metamorphosis process is spectacular. Growing up changes us and depending on the environment - and thankfully for most people - and with maturity - a change for good.

3) Sacrifice for greater good
Between the next two changes in the Mayfly's cycle - the body changes to such an extent that its entire digestive system is replaced with reproductive parts. This means it no longer eats or drinks - and its function from then on - until it's death is focussed on its next generation. This thought made me stop and think about the sacrifice that each fly makes for something bigger than themselves. I could not fathom this on a human level, I mean the Saviour did this for us, but what about on a normal person's level - normal like you and I. What do we sacrifice? Remember - this insect's whole digestive system is replaced!

4) Time is precious

What is so amazing about this little fly - is that it only has 24 hours to live once it has undergone its last change - 24 hours! And in that time, it has to mate and get eggs fertilised before dying. I am ashamed to even think about what I have accomplished in 24 hours... A lesson for me again, and a reminder for us all - that time is precious. We may not have 24 hours to live and die but we do have time to use wisely. Something for me to remember!!

5) Live life to its potential
When a Mayfly has finished what is charged with doing, exhausted - it dies. As there are trillions born at the same time, you would think finding a mate would be easy - but obviously not, as there are many that die without having laid its eggs or having their egg fertilised. This got me thinking about living life to its potential so that at my end, I can be justifiably exhausted because I lived every minute to its potential!

 A Mayfly might be the size of the tip of a tweezer or as big as the tip of a finger - its lessons have been MIGHTY!! What do you think?

Yours in friendship,

Mxo