What is Jesus' middle name? {Mama Braggin' Monday}

I picked Nathan up from school the other day and he came out with a package of Skittles in hand. The boy loves his Skittles and they were open and being consumed in no time flat.

As we pulled away I suggested that he might want to save some to share with his sister. She has, after all, purchased whole bags of candy for him using the stickers she accumulates with good behavior in class. She is usually so excited to share things like that with him. So using my oh so gentle (NOT) techniques, I was urging him to save some to share with her.

But, no. He was more than willing to save some to share with Biscuit, but his sister? Nope. Not happening.

We went by home so that I could change clothes before picking Sarah up and I remembered that she had stashed a package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in the refrigerator recently. I pulled those out and explained to him that they were hers and that I was not going to make her share with him since he didn’t share with her.

He understood and off we went to pick her up from school.

She got in the car and I gave her a choice of treats between the Reese’s and some Ritz Bits crackers. Clearly the child is a genius since she chose the Reese’s.

As she opened them, she began to ask Nathan if he wanted one. I kind of interrupted her to tell her that she didn’t have to share and explained what happened earlier with the Skittles.

Can you tell I am the type of person that wants justice?

And you know what that little girl did? She went ahead and asked Nathan if he wanted one. And like a good child o’ mine he said, “Sure.” She handed it over and he thanked her and told her that she was kind.

In a rare moment of lucidness for me, I realized the teaching opportunity that I had at that moment.

“Sarah, you just showed a great amount of grace toward your brother. Nathan, do you realize that Sarah just showed grace to you? You didn’t deserve that Reese’s because you didn’t share with her, and yet she shared with you anyways. Just like we didn’t deserve what Jesus did for us. We didn’t deserve for him to come to earth to dwell among us and die on the cross for our sins. He knew we didn’t deserve it. But he did it anyways. Do y’all know why?”

And Sarah said, “Because he loves us. And I shared because I love Nathan and because he is my brother.”

“And that is grace. God giving us what we don’t deserve just like you giving Nathan that candy when he didn’t really deserve it.”

After a short pause, caused by chocolate and peanut butter consumption I’m sure, Sarah responded again saying, “You know what? His middle name should be Grace. Because he just shows us grace over and over all the time.”

Yes, dear one. And His middle name pretty much IS Grace because HE IS GRACE.

Grace over justice.

Oh the lessons we learn from our children.

~~~

Edited to add:

I linked this up for "Your Life Your Blog" at Real Life.