My Child's Blood

Seeing the blood of one of my children isn't a new thing to me. With three boys, we go through our share of bandaids.

Three days ago, Gideon was running through the room, slipped on something and caught the corner of the bed frame with his forehead. Head wounds bleed ALOT and this was a deep one. We got him fixed up, determined that a butterfly bandage would suffice and that we didn't need to go get stitches. But since then, he has picked the scab off everyday.

Today, he had gotten the scab half way off before I caught him and convinced him to leave it alone. Later, he tripped and hit his little head AGAIN...in just the right spot. Here comes the blood...lots of it. Maybe more than the first time. His clothes, my clothes, wash clothes...you name it, we got blood on it. Laundry time.

Later, as I was moving the blood stained-rinsed-but-not-yet-washed clothes to the washing machine, I paused a moment to look at my child's blood. It reminded me of the time Silas broke his face (Yes, broke his face...I know I have very talented children) in the garage sending us to the emergency room on a Sunday evening. The day after the incident I went into the garage to once again tend to the blood stained laundry. While there, I stopped to stare at the drops of my child's blood on the cement floor.

Both times, these thoughts came to my mind.

What was it like for God to watch His Son bleed on the cross for my sake? I did not allow my children to bleed. I would have prevented it if I could have. Yet God SENT His Son to bleed for me. I am humbled by His ultimate humility.

Then I thought of John 17:23. Jesus prays that "the world may know that...you love them even as you have loved me"

God loves me the same as He loves Jesus. He put Jesus on the cross.

Gulp.

Romans 12:1 says I am to be a living sacrifice. My mom always used to tell me that "the problem with living sacrifices is that they can crawl back off the altar" I am to daily put my own desires, my own plans, my own comfort, even my own body on the altar...and stay there. I am not very good at this.

But I ask myself today, What is God asking me to sacrifice for others...that they may know Him. That they may glimpse His tender mercies in my tenderness, when I really feel like being rude. That they may see His patience when I am patient, when I really feel like screaming.

That they may understand His loving sacrifice when I do for others at my own expense.

Thank you, Jesus, for your Grace and for being my ultimate sacrifice. Help me to put my life on the altar and to bleed for others today.