Pushed down

Sad because she did it. Why would she think about doing such a thing? She’s not a malicious person. But no matter how much good is in there, we all have that root of selfish thinking that seems to come over us from time to time. 

Sad because she didn’t tell the truth. I asked her, letting her know I value honesty over all things and she wouldn’t be punished if she would tell the truth. She said she didn’t. Guaranteed forgiveness wasn’t enough to make her own up to her shortcomings. 

Sad because she didn’t show remorse. She watched carefully from the bed, but once he was safely in his own crib, she was ready to move on. She feigned what seemed like concern but then went about her business, troubled by selecting her book before her nap. 

Sad because she didn’t want to make it right. She wanted to move on, get over it, to stop thinking on such pesky things like the way others are hurt by her actions. 

I hurt for both of my children now. I hurt for the one who suffered from the decisions of others. I hurt for the other child whose hard heart troubled her too little. 

She’s not malicious, evil or unkind. But she did an unthoughtful and inconsiderate act, for which someone else had to bear pain. I want healing for both of these children in such different ways. 

What a glimpse of God’s view of his children. How cruel we can be, unintentionally or not. And how He loves us all, cares for us all, wants change for us all in different ways. We’re hurting and we’re hurting one another. 

Perhaps it’s time to stop. To tell the truth about the way we treat others – when we tend to use and abuse when the systems let us. We don’t always consider others, or the ramifications of our actions and the effects on others. Truthfully, we’re not always nice. 

Perhaps it’s time to show some remorse. Not a moment of pity, but allow it to sink deep within our souls: when other people hurt, perhaps we should change our ways. 

Perhaps it’s time to make it right. Stop getting over it. Stop allowing suffering to fade into the background. Stop getting about our day with our selections of what makes us happy while others still cry.