Broken...

A few weeks ago I received a package that I had been waiting on for months.  I had finally ordered a Living Locket from Origami Owl and it was here.  I opened it so carefully... oohing and ahhing over the packaging and when I pulled it out, I think I gasped.  It was beautiful and everything I had hoped it would be.  I gently set it on the table...took pictures of it...instagrammed it and just couldn't wait to show it off.  I was most excited to wear it, because soon I will be selling it and I just couldn't wait for people to see it and want one. I was being so gentle with it that I didn't even put it on.  I just looked at it over and over!!

We went on about our night and after dinner and family devotions I pulled it out to look at it and I noticed my charms were messed up.  I looked closer at the locket and there it was...the back of my locket was cracked.  It is made out of glass and somehow it was cracked.  I automatically went to the girls because I knew they had looked at it.  Both said they didn't do it...and as I looked at their faces I knew which one was guilty.  I also noticed missing charms and when I inquired about that...the truth slowly came out.  

Earlier in the evening, Shelby had wanted to look at my locket, and I told her I didn't want her to mess with it.  It was special and she could look at it here at the table, but I didn't want her taking it anywhere.  Sometime that evening she took it.  She went in private and looked at the locket and decided to open it.  When she opened it all of the charms poured out and panic took over.  I can see her now shoving those charms back inside the glass plate and then trying to shut the locket back.  Evidently she didn't have the charms laying flat so when she ever so gently(enter sarcasm) tried to shut the locket she broke it. 

 

She cried...oh how she cried.  She was so upset...I was so upset.  I was upset that something that I had waited for for so long was broken.  How was I going to show it off...get interest in the product when it was broken?  Then my husband so gently said "it's just a locket Genie...this is your daughter".  I love that man for his honesty...even when it hurts. Grateful that those few words changed my heart from being selfish to "how can I best help my daughter".  

I took Shelby Jean to the scene of the crime and we had a good heart to heart talk about what had happened.  I looked at her swollen puffy eyes and told her I wasn't upset about the locket.  She looked at me with shock...and then I said "I'm upset that you went behind my back and then lied to me".  This broke her  fragile little heart (much more fragile then a stinkin' locket) and it was torn in two over her sin.  She repented and told me how sorry she was over and over.  I explained to her that she had broken a commandment.  She broke the 9th because she lied to me...she had also broken the 8th because she stole something that belonged to me....that she broke the 5th because she didn't honor my wishes...and she had broken all of those things because of the 10th...that she had coveted my locket.  I then looked at that broken little girl...looked at my broken locket and I told Shelby that I loved her and she said "you still do...even though I did all that stuff wrong?" and it was as if God had laid a golden opportunity for me to share the Gospel with my child.

I told Shelby that I loved her so much and it didn't matter what she had done, I was her mom and I loved her.  I then told her about God's love and how He loves me...a wretched sinner.  How he forgives me when I make mistakes...when I break His law.  That He still loves me...because I am His!  I explained to her that      " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(1 John 1:9 ).  It was a moment that I would give 100 broken lockets for.  A moment that the Gospel was so clear for my broken 7 year old.  I explained to her how precious we are to Him...and that we are His children  "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God"(1 John 3:1).

We hugged and I reassured her that Mommy was fine...that this broken locket could be fixed.  She prayed and so sweetly asked God to forgive her for lying to me and taking something that didn't belong to me.  We went for a ride up to the Dollar General...just her and I and spent some good time talking and she told me "Mom, I have $10 you can have to fix your locket...it's all the money I have, but you can have it".  I told her I didn't think $10 would be enough to fix it...even if they could fix it.  The next morning we took it to the jeweler here in town and he examined it and said "yeah I can fix it...it will be $10".  I just smiled.

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."(Ephesians 1:7-10)