Devotion for the Fourth Week of Lent

In the creation story, humankind is given a special place in the world. God breathed the breath of life into humankind. That breath of life was not shared with any other part of creation.

This special relationship we have with God is based upon grace. Grace is sometimes a hard thing to define, so instead of trying to define it, I am going to share a story.

This story is about a man named Bob. Now Bob was one of those men who began to lose his hair and an early age, so by the time he and his wife had their twins, Peter and Sally, he was completely bald. Bob was, and still is, a delightful person. He loves his wife, his children and his extended family. One night he and his wife decided to go out to dinner and hired a baby sitter to take care of their little children.

While they were gone, the baby sitter got interested in a television program and was not watching the children very carefully. Their little boy Peter, got a hold of his father's electric shaver and shaved a big racing stripe right down the middle of his head.

When his father came home, he was furious. He said, "Peter! I told you never to play with my shaver. Now you are going to get a spanking that you will never forget!" Peter was just about to get a spanking when Peter looked up at his dad and said, "Wait until you see Sally!" Bob and his wife were horrified.

They went into the next room and there was their little daughter with her hair shaved off. By this time Bob was really furious. He grabbed up Peter and said, "Now you are really going to get it."

Just as he lifted his hand Peter looked up at his dad, with tears in his eyes, and said, "But Daddy! WE WERE JUST TRYING TO LOOK LIKE YOU!"
All Peter's dad could do was offer his son a hug of love and grace.

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16