Forgiven

Hannah stumped us again last night. She had a difficult row with her dad over being disrespectful. He took her into her room, gave her a stern lecture about being respectful, and left her there crumpled in tears on her bed. When I went in several minutes later to dole out her punishment (she’d have to stay in her room until bedtime), I played good cop (it was my turn), soothed her for a bit, and went back downstairs. Just before bedtime, I asked Karl to go up and make peace with her before she went to sleep. When he sat on her bed and asked if she understood why she’d gotten into trouble, she said “I said things I shouldn’t have and I was disrespectful. That’s why you yelled at me.” Then, for her coup d’etat, she added “And as a Christian, I forgive you.”

Next time I won’t leave her in her room long enough to think about what WE did wrong.