For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,
and their sins and their lawless deeds
I will remember no more.”
Hebrews 8:12

A while back I had a problem with someone who was living in a rental house that I owned.  Despite countless efforts on my part to reason with her, the person had decided that she could pay rent whenever and if she decided to do so.  I talked with her, was patient with her and gave her several written notices, but she refused to move out!  Bottom line…I finally had to have her evicted, much to my chagrin.

My daughter went to court with me and she, the lady and I came up to the judge’s bench when the case was called.  Now I’m kind of like Clark Kent… I’m a mild mannered person until I feel an injustice has been done.  Then, (even without a phone booth) I turn into Superman, avenger of all evil!  Well it so happened that this woman was telling the judge all kinds of things that just were not true.  My daughter, who was standing at my right side, could feel the transformation taking place.  I wasn’t even aware, but she said I was slowing shaking my head and there was a small amount of steam coming out of my ears and wafting through the air! She just kept patting my hand and saying softly, “Mother, just calm down.”  I do thank God that she was there, because otherwise Superman may have fully manifest with red cape flying in the wind as I verbally flew into that woman!  I do hope you know that I’m kidding…not about being angry, for I definitely was, but about not restraining myself.

Now I gave you all this background information for two reasons: First of all, I thought it might give you a good laugh and secondly to tell you about a conversation afterward.  Without my knowledge, my daughter thought it would be funny to play a trick on my son-in-law John who knew that she would be accompanying me in court.  She called him and said, “John, the judge put mother in jail for contempt of court.  What are we going to do?”  John didn’t even hesitate in disbelief.  He simply said, “You’ve got to be kidding! Well, we’ll have to get her out.  How much is her bond?”  At that point my daughter started laughing and he realized it was all a ruse.  Later I said to him, “John I knew you loved your mother-in-law and this just proves it!  (Never mind that he didn’t hesitate to belief such a thing!)

I don’t know why but I was thinking about this again on the way to work one day and laughing about the joke on John.  John and I have always teased about our mother-in-law / son-in-law relationship although I love him dearly and I know he cares for me.  Then it just came to me how much that is like our Heavenly Father.  We are His children and it is our desire to please Him and continue in fellowship with Him.  But when we mess up and end up behind the bars of unfavorable circumstances, He still loves us and will bail us out if we call on Him!  Not only so, but He covers the indiscretion with the blood of His Holy Son Jesus and will remember it no more?  Oh, what love!!!

“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son,
will be with us in truth and love.”
(2 John 1:3)