Quiet

The house is very quiet. T took Kt to gymnastics and Em is at her friend's house having a pizza party dinner. I'm home alone - well, with our dog who is sleeping soundly. I SHOULD go for a walk, but once again, I'm not feeling so well. Hopefully, it will pass - achy, nauseous, and no, I'm not pregnant (haha!).

I hardly know what to do with myself right now. I could start with all that laundry, or even clean up the kids toys a bit. I could grab a bite to eat - something light - or even clean a couple of our bathrooms. Instead, I'm sitting here, enjoying some peace and quiet and blogging! It's nice, but I'm feeling utterly unproductive!!

In Bible study this morning, the question arose about God's compassion for us and have we noticed Him being compassionate in any specific ways toward us. It was a hard question, because I happen to think God has compassion on us constantly!! He puts up with a lot, and most of the time, we don't even bother to recognize it. His compassion for us could be stamped on both our hands and we would think it was a freckle (I only say that because I am covered with them!). Shame on us.

As an example of this compassion, there was a reference to Exodus (34:1-7) when Moses had to return to get the second tablets with God's law.

1And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

2And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

3And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.

4And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

5And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

6And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

7Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

I think we were supposed to focus on the last couple of verses, describing the character of God by God Himself, but I thought the example given before it struck me, because never before had I read it in search of a glimpse of compassion. When have I, as a parent, invested blood, sweat and tears into something for one of my children that, at the first sign of anything gone awry they recklessly destroyed in anger? I'm not thinking of anything off the top of my head at the moment - I have two girls, 5 and 8 years, so it may be coming! - but if that were to happen, would I just say to her, "OK. Just go get me some more of that broken stuff and let's do this again." Um, no. And I refuse to fess up to the picture that pops into my head of what this situation might look like. I actually think God gives an example here of what He then claims about Himself, "merciful and gracious" and what my Bible says, "slow to anger." I can't think of anyone who would have more reason to be angry with mankind than God.

So, in my few moments of quiet tonight, I'm going to take the time to thank God, who compassionately loves me for reasons I cannot comprehend, for being so unbelievably generous with me despite my failure to ever recognize it.