Of Broken Vases...

My son is an early riser, to say the least... Imagine how enjoyable that is for grandparents. Well, a few months ago, my son spent the night with his Oma. Oma told him that he could get up at 7:00am and either play with his toys in the guest room quietly or go watch T.V. without any toys until she got up.

Now, I'm sure you realize that when parents and grandparents give direction, it is for good reason. Maybe this realization hasn't dawned on my son, yet, or maybe, he is just sneaky.

At 7:00am, Alec chose his own option, to play in the living room WITH his toys.

When Oma awoke, everything was fine until she noticed some silk flowers on the floor that belonged in her yellow vase. Once she bent down to pick them up, she became aware of something far more peculiar. Her vase was broken.

In a very sad attempt, he tried to hide the broken pieces in the vase and put it back on the coffee table.

What hurts me most about this story is the deception. But when I think about it, I recognize myself. Haven't we all chosen our own path at times, when God has clearly given us a direction. And our own way has brought us destruction. Then, we try to hide it, as if God can't see through our facade.

I wanted to teach my son a lesson in restoration and so we went "vase hunting" with his money. We could not find another yellow vase but found a ceramic vase, similar in size, so we purchased it and some yellow paint from Lowe's. With some teamwork, we were able to create a comparable replacement.

He had already said I'm sorry to his Oma, but I believe that actions speak louder than words. He could never replace the vase that he destroyed... It will never be the same. But he could sacrifice something that belonged to him, in this case- time and money. And takes those steps toward restoration.

Oma graciously accepted his gift, placed her silk flowers in the new vase, and set it on the coffee table. (His apology note remains hidden in the bottom of the vase.)

As a parent, I can only hope that this lesson will stick with him. The point is, whether the vase cost $5 or $50, he broke it because of disobedience and then lied with his actions. But, he took steps to restore not only the vase but also his relationship with his Oma.


Smile :) donnamusing

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.