MEET MERCY MOMMA

The eight year old boy hadn't really disobeyed as much as he has disregarded his mother's warnings.  She'd warned him about leaving his bike out in the driveway. And for a while he listened. But then, he forgot. Got distracted. Forgot about following the rules and left his bike in the driveway. And one day, a delivery truck drove over it. Bye, bye bike. The boy was more destroyed than his bike was.  He and his friends spent every free hour riding bikes. And now he watched his friends enjoying the fruit of not disobeying.  They had bikes. He did not.He was truly repentant. But repentance didn't give him his bike back. 
His mother  was heartbroken over what he had lost.  Every mother knows the feeling, the question:  "Why didn't you listen? Now you are in pain. This is what I wanted to keep you from." But... Children rarely realize that it is LOVE that creates guidelines of protection.

A few hours later, Mercy Momma returned from a trip she had taken in the family's mini-van while Dad stayed home. Dad said,  "Son,you said you were sorry for leaving your bike in the driveway and your mother and I believe you are.  But... now we are going to teach you about mercy.  God's mercy.  He undoes what our disobedience has done."   And then they gave the undeserving boy an undeserved new bike.  That boy learned more about God's love.. and his parent's love.. when they extended MERCY than any punishment they could have handed out.  He never left the bike in the driveway again. His broken heart met mercy that day. And he was never the same.

So, o.k. nice story, Mrs. Older.  And? So? What?
You are the little boy, mother.
You often disregard the rules.
God takes no pleasure in watching you live a guilty, heartbroken life.  God is calling to you today.. through a blog.. written by a fellow failer... and He is LONGING to show you mercy. He wants to RESTORE, RENEW, REPLENISH, REVIVE what your lack of regard for His guidelines has taken from you. Will you let Him? Will you believe that you are forgiven?
Because... you are.
Meet "mercy", Momma.  
Meet mercy, embrace her, and let her lift you back to the place your Father intended for you all along. 

"If you, Lord, kept a record of sins Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. "  Psalm 130:3-4