“Sorry” (03/15/2024)

As the mother of young children, I made a conscious decision about how I would teach them to reach for their best selves. Whenever we had an episode of selfishness or intentional meanness or utter thoughtlessness, the culprit took a “time out.” The length of the time out was their age plus 2; so, a four-year-old would take a 6-minute time out. While sitting alone, the child was to consider what caused me to put them in a time out, what behavior I had found unacceptable. When the time was over, two things were necessary: a sincere apology and a plan for change in the future. You see, I believe that every “Sorry” needs a recognition of the need for change and a clearly defined route for the future.

I’ll be honest, some offenses were repeats. Not every time out was as fruitful as I’d hoped. But eventually, I must admit, they got the message. Eventually, the three of them did learn that every “sorry” needs a change.

I thought of that last Sunday as I watched them interact. No one cares more for those three than those three. They learned to value their precious relationships, one “sorry” at a time. They learned to think of the other, to think of what the other needs as well as what they need, often to think of the other’s need over their own. They are each other’s greatest defenders. The LORD looks after fools such as myself; I owe the idea to the LORD.

I got the idea from my own journey and the realization that I can’t just say “Sorry” and then continue to do what I’d been doing. In life with the LORD, every “Sorry” requires a change of course, a change of priorities, a change in me. The LORD has watched and waited with me so many times during reflective time outs when I needed to ponder my actions, their impact on essential and precious relationships, and what changes I needed to make.

Lent is a perfect time for us to voluntarily take a “time out” to consider our lives, our interactions, our choices that have damaged those essential relationships. Lent is a time for “Sorry,” that is true. But Lent is especially a time to change, to turn away from those behaviors that hurt our essential relationships with our LORD, with one another, with ourselves. Every “Sorry” requires a new action plan.

Let us pray for wisdom, for the collective recognition of all Christ taught us through the Gospels of love lived well. Let us pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our reflection and in our sense of perseverance once we’ve found the path of our Savior’s footsteps once again. And let us keep foremost in our mind the love of the Father that sent His beloved Son to atone for our sins. Let our “Sorry” be a true turn back to the source of all love and all life, to our LORD.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.