I wrote a letter to someone once. It wasn’t a pleasant letter to be writing and frankly, one I didn’t approach as prayerfully as one should. A friend ten years my younger was struggling with drug addiction, chronic lying, and had just given up a child. I was watching this girl hurt her mother, also my friend. I let anger dominate the pen as I advised, “Tread lightly for a mother’s grace will run out. Turn to God before it’s too late because His grace never will.”

I regret those words. I know and believe God’s grace will always stretch further, plunge deeper, and reach higher than any of our sins. What I didn’t take into consideration was how the Lord impresses Himself within a mom. Several years have passed and my friend has yet to run out of grace for her daughter. Now that I’m a mom I see why.

In Genesis 1 and 2 we’re told God made us in His image. We’re a poor reflection to be sure, and yet we do reflect characteristics of the Holy. My children have yet to cross me so painfully at the ripe ages of 5 and 3, but I can’t help but wonder if one way the Creator of the universe designed the mother-child relationship is to reflect His abundant grace.

Scream at me. I’ll love you. Hit me. I’ll love you. Disobey me time and time again. I’ll still love you.

Question My authority. Curse Me out. Insist life is unfair and accuse Me for all the wrong. I love you. I love you. I love you.

We sound the same sometimes, God and me. I hope my kids can see that, will feel it, can trust Him. “For the Lord disciplines those He loves…” (Prov 3:11-12) and so do I. The key is to discipline from love, to extend grace in the midst of correction. Love and discipline cannot be had one without the other.