Our Savior's Love

The following post was sent to me via email by a friend. It touched me and made me so thankful for the role of the Savior in my life. I decided to share my friend of a friend's story and add some images of Christ. As a mother, I am seeing and feeling the love of God so much more in everyday ways. I am beginning to understand how my Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ must feel for me....and all of us.
" Lucy burned her finger yesterday and I was reminded of our Father's love.

I was sewing- which meant the iron was out, and on. She was sleeping for most of it, but woke up just as I was finishing up. She loves to inspect my stuff and can't do anything else if I have new unusual things out.

I told her (as I have many times before) not to touch the sewing machine or the iron. I said "they could hurt you, make sure not to touch them". She said OK and went on investigating.

When my back was turned, I heard the small yelp and turned to see Lucy running away from me and the iron. She quickly grabbed her blanket as she whimpered and wrapped her finger in her blanket. She sat down in the corner and began, with great 3 year old effort, to fight her tears of pain.

I quickly went over to her, knelt down and said "what happened?"
“NOTHING!” she yelled- but her bottom lip is protruding so far that it brought tears to my eyes.
"Did you touch the iron?"
"No, I didn't... she says with her eyes brimming with tears (serious control for a 3 year old)
"Lucy", I say "I'm not mad at you... I want to help you; did you touch the iron?"
"Yes!" she says and breaks down in sobs as I rush her to the bathroom and begin caring for the pea sized burn on her left thumb.

" Over the next four hours, we took constant care of her thumb, which was blistered badly and continuing to cause her pain. We used ice and water and cold cloths and cold breath. We gave lots of hugs as we talked about how sometimes mommies and daddies have to tell their little girls things that they shouldn't do, not because they are mad, but to help them to not get hurt.

Truly, as this incident was happening, I felt like I was being taught about the process of repentance and the beauty of forgiveness.

When I saw that initial look in Lucy's eyes, where she ran and hid after touching the iron because she didn't want me to know, I thought about how often we suffer shamefully the consequences of disobedience. Often we turn our backs on Heavenly Father possibly feeling ashamed to have disobeyed or maybe fearing His anger will hurt too much. We think the Lord is angry with us or ashamed of us, but He is not. I know He is not, because when Lucy touched the iron, all I felt, as her loving parent, was sadness for her pain - for the pain she had to suffer as a result of disobeying. I needed to wrap my arms around her and comfort her because I was hurting for her, how badly would it have hurt us both if she hadn't let me?

For Lucy's pain to stop, or for her to deal with it- she needed someone who knew what to do to heal a burn. She needed someone who had been burned before.

"She would have had no idea where to turn or what to do. She didn't know that cold water and ice eased the pain, or that comfort at least lightened the load during the part where the pain wouldn't stop.

So it is with the Savior. He warns us against certain things... not because he will be angry with us if we do them, but because he wants to help us avoid the PAIN of disobedience which we HAVE to experience when we disobey. He firmly tells us to be obedient, because justice must take its course and... justice hurts.

I couldn't erase the pain completely from Lucy's thumb, she had to sit and suffer with it - but just like the Lord can, I could help her sort through the pain and deal with it step by step. At least I ease the hurt by being by her side.

It is interesting to be the Mother and love someone so much and hurt so badly as you watch them suffer the consequences of their own actions. As I experience this, it teaches me that my Father in Heaven truly loves me and sees me the way I see my beautiful, progressing, inexperienced 3 year-old. In my eyes, she is perfect in every way, and with a little guidance, she can reach her full potential.

He lovingly warns me not to 'touch the iron', but when I do touch the iron- if I am open and honest and repentant, he wraps his arms around me, shows me what to do to heal my burn and comforts me as I suffer the pain.

If I hide and I am ashamed and I deny touching the iron altogether, then it hurts us both and I suffer on my own without the instruction, the comfort, the companionship and the forgiveness.

I remember, before my girls were born, sitting in the BYU library for any number of hours studying the gospel. I sat in lectures of every kind on every gospel topic, attended Relief Society, Gospel Doctrine, Family Home Evening etc. with uninterrupted study of the Gospel. Now, as a busy... and happy... Mother of 2, I desperately crave that solace.

" I am learning as time goes on, however, that that time was to prepare me for this time and that when I do my best and ask in prayer to be edified, even through the busyness, the Lord teaches me what he wants me to know - when I listen.

As I do the dishes again, and again and again- I am reminded of the peace that is found through sacrificing for others. As I read Book of Mormon picture books, I rededicate myself to be like Alma- whose knowledge of Christ was the driving force of everything he did in his entire life. As I am, again, teaching my girls something I think they should already have mastered because of the hundreds of times we have been through it, I am firmly reminded of the patience my Father in Heaven has for me with the things I have been taught over and over again.

Or as I spend my evenings healing burnt thumbs of disobedient, but wonderful children, I realize that I would be nothing without the Atonement of Christ. "

I couldn't have said it any better. May you feel the tender mercies of the Lord poured out upon you in your lives!