Cracked Cantaloupe Do-Over~City Mom

A neighbor gave us a melon. A perfect, garden cantaloupe she had grown over the Summer. My husband and I not being fans of the fruit had set it in the back hall to take along for a day outing and sharing with my parents. (that sounds really selfish. we commonly share things we like as well, but we didn't want this to go to waste knowing the children would likely not eat the entire thing themselves.)

I turned the corner and a small boy who had been told to put on his shoes and get in the car was barefoot and holding the cantaloupe over an even smaller boy's head and messing around.

Something came over me. I kind of snapped. I gave "the look." You know what I mean. Remember the look you got as a kid that made you go, "uh-oh, I'm in for it now." And then...

catastrophe.


the cantaloupe fell.


and, the world stopped.

Instead of taking my own often shared advise of holding back, breathing/praying/taking stock...I charged. I gave the "you know better than this, I'm so disappointed lecture." The kind of lecture that you swore before you were a parent you would never give to your kids. Then came in the reinforcement. My husband took off on my disappointment lecture and picked up the guilt lecture "we can't give a cracked cantaloupe to your grandparents now...and oh! how horrible to do this when our neighbor was so thoughtful to give us a melon!"

Result? Crocodile tears. And I watched my almost 7 year old blessing, put on his shoes with his head held low and get into the van. (Yes, I'm crying as I type this.)

I asked my husband if he would be willing to chat for a moment. Still fired up from his charge he reluctantly agreed. I carefully laid out the situation and confessed my sin. "He was exhibiting childish behavior...and besides it was a melon! And look at our son! He was shamed and guilted and is drooping in his spirit right now."

David gave me the green light to invite our boy back inside.

I pulled that precious child on my lap, wiped away his tear and cuddled him a moment. I asked him if there was anything he would like to say to us. He shook his head no. Then I said, "Darling, Mommy was so wrong in communicating that a melon was more important than you. You didn't hurt your grandparents or our neighbor by what happened. I chose to be self-serving in my sinful nature and for some crazy reason, I chose a melon over my dear-beloved son! Please forgive me and know that this is not the mommy I want to be to you."

A similar repentant attitude was then expressed from father to son.

That sweet child reached out and hugged us both and offered his forgiveness. He also said that he would have been better employed obeying us by having put his shoes on and gotten into the van, than messing around with the cantaloupe.

This is grace. This is love. This is forgiveness. All found in Jesus. The ability to humble ourselves was not in ourselves but from the Holy Spirit. That cracked melon, produced a crack in our son's little spirit. But, something beautiful happened. Love covered over a multitude of sins, and our son saw feet on the gospel.

As we parent, we strive for gentleness, peace, patience, kindness, self-control. Ultimately, we often fail. I think the striving for those qualities speaks volumes to our children. But, I'm praying that the ability to humble ourselves and repent will speak highly as well. Following Jesus is not about being perfect. It's about being forgiven.

I Peter 4:8
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.