Yup, I did that

You may have noticed that yesterday was Monday.  On Monday mornings I help out in MC's classroom, so around 10:03 I got into the big ol' 'burban and started driving toward school.  No worries, just an ordinary Monday morning.

At about 10:13 (2 minutes before I was supposed to be at school), I looked up and looked around and realized I was going the wrong way!  Yes, I was driving toward school, but it was Bubby's school, which happens to be about a 12 minute drive south of our house.  MC's school is about a 12 minute drive north of our house.

I just had to laugh.  I've made wrong turns before because I was preoccupied and put the big ol' 'burban on auto-pilot, so to speak, but I don't think I've ever gone quite that far in the wrong direction because I was distracted.

Later, I started thinking.  You know, if this had happened a few years ago, I would have been totally beating myself up about it, telling myself that I'm stupid (and worse), and asking myself how I could go so far out of my way without noticing.  And don't think that would be the end of it.  I would be berating myself for days over this one silly little mistake.

Why do we do that?  Why are we so quick to judge and find ourselves lacking?  Why are we so sure that we don't deserve a little compassion, a little grace?  Why do we think we have to be perfect?

God is the only One who is qualified to judge us, and you know what?  God, through the power of Jesus' blood, has judged us and declared us righteous.  Not because of what we do, but because of what Jesus has done.  Who are we to question God?

A few years ago, I would have been like, well God, He doesn't really know me.  'Cause if He knew, really knew, how horrible I am, what a sinner I am, no way would he call me righteous. 

And it's true--I'm not.  Jesus (who lives in me) is.

Instead, I laughed.  And that feels so good.  To know that, at least on that day, I trusted God enough to rest in His judgement instead of my own.  To know, and really believe, that I am enough, I do deserve compassion and grace, and I am righteous in God's sight.

And you, my friend?  You are too.

Glory be.

²³ For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace

through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,

through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.

Romans 3:23-25a