Guilty as charged

I'm learning that sometimes moms make mistakes with their kids.  This week, I have 9 kids.  And if you asked each of my 9 boys when was a time when Caroline royally messed up this week - I'm sure they could each start rattling off examples.  Bottom line - I'm so not perfect.  But as a mom - when you lose your cool with one of your kids - don't you feel horrible?  Don't you feel guilty? I know I sure do.  It leaves a pit in my stomach until I make it right with each of my boys - asking them for forgiveness and telling them that I was wrong.

This past week, I messed up with Arturo on Tuesday, Gustavo on Wednesday and Kevin on Thursday.

I hate messing up.  I felt horrible.

Today I was sitting with a boy who doesn't currently live with me (same orphanage just lives in a different dorm) and he told me that he's been behaving really badly lately.  I told him that everyone messes up.  I told him all about my week and all the times I was wrong this week.  Then I touched his little brown face and said, "buddy I want you to know something really important.  No matter what you've done - God loves you so much and He'll never stop loving you.  When he made you, I'm sure he sat back and said that you were the most beautiful little boy ever created.  Don't you ever forget that no matter how much you screw up, your identity in the eyes of your creator is the most important opinion of all.  He is wild about you and loves you more than you could ever know - even when you are misbehaving."

Why is that SO MUCH easier to say to a child that isn't my child?  Why is that so hard to say to my own children when they are being bad?!

Well this boy just lit up when he heard all that about how much God loves him regardless of how many mistakes he's made.  Sweet boy proceeded to tell others my same message.  Why?  Because it's awesome that's why!

God doesn't only love perfect people.  God loves the mess, the whore, the liar, the cheat, the murderer, the thief, the drunk.... God is love.  In fact, God came down into our chaos to rescue us.  He wants to meet you right where you are and have a relationship with you.  He's crazy about you.