big girl pants

Psalm 78:38-39, "Yet He was merciful; He forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them.  Time after time He restrained His anger and did not stir up His full wrath.  He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return."

Geoge Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  I use it in my history class when kids ask the age old question, "Why do we have to learn this?"  Asaph is using it (without quoting it) with the Israelites.  He goes through the record of God's goodness and Israel's unfaithfulness.  He was probably desperate for them to learn it THIS time.  

If you ever had a prodigal or a child going through a tough time (or perhaps, just perhaps you yourself are struggling to learn a lesson) you understand the desperation.  Times get crazy and you literally pray, "Let this be the bottom."  Or when you have messed up and have received God's grace and pull yourself up by your boot straps grateful that the consequence was minor and you put on your big girl pants and get back in there determined to have learned the lesson...this time.  

God's lessons are out of love and always for our good.  And I am grateful...for the lessons I have learned and for those my kids have learned.  When I think about how some circumstances COULD have turned out and only by the grace of God did not happen, my response has brought tears and has at times taken my knees out from me and brought me to the right posture to praise Him.  The lessons aren't easy and sometimes they bring so much pain; but my God is merciful.  He knows what a mess I am and loves me anyway.  How can I have anything but gratitude and praise?