What Kind of Mom Leaves the Baby in the Car?
I'm notorious for having to eat my words.
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I'm notorious for having to eat my words. One of my all time favorite quotes is "I'd never do that!” You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now because as soon I open my big mouth, and start judging people, I might as well go knock on their door and ask to borrow their shoes! It’s like I’m begging to learn a new life lesson as soon as I say it… it’s going to happen to me! I still can't believe how easily it happened and how it's only by the grace of God that I write this story with a happy ending.
On Sunday, while visiting back in Southern Illinois, my family had all decided to go out for dinner after church services. You know how the church folks gotta’ beat the other church folks to Sunday dinner! The Indy 500 ain't got nothin’ on a hungry Baptist with a long-winded preacher! We were in the race for fried chicken at The Lodge. The checkered flag was out. We pull into grannies and race inside to change clothes. I run in and start getting ready. I'm a mom with routine; I always change myself first and let the baby stay in her seat until I'm all ready, but this time there's a problem. I go to get the baby to change her clothes but I can't find her seat. I had assumed my parents took her out when they got out of the car. They always do that when I’m visiting. My heart sank as I saw the look on their faces as we realized that no one had gotten the baby out of the car. It seemed like it had been forever since we had pulled in the driveway. It was a warm sunny day. We op ened the door and thank the Lord she was okay. Sweaty and overheated but praise God she was alive and sleeping.
I tell this story because I am guilty. I've watched the news myself in horror and said what kind of dummy forgets to get their baby out of the car? Well that dummy is me. My intentions were none other than to fellowship with my loved ones that day. You may find yourself thinking that it was just a mistake, no harm done. That's because you heard the background behind my story, you had an understanding of the situation and you took a little walk in my shoes. How many times have we sat in our own living rooms and condemned people with intentions and hearts no different than mine? It's just by His mercy and grace that I'm not walking in the same shoes of so many others, with a much less happy ending.
Jesus tells us in Luke 6:37 "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven" and in John 3:17 "for God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world". Friends, sometimes the drama can change your life forever, so I pray you never find yourself walking where I walked that day and I pray the next time I pick up a stone, I take a little walk in their shoes before it's thrown. Let us not condemn those around us but let us offer the same love Christ showed us. He walked in our shoes all the way to the cross. The least we can do is to have grace and mercy on others when they need it the most.
With love in Him,
The always Drama Mama
Tanie Ree
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