Get Out…

I wish I wasn't so mean.

Several years back, when the kids were little, we were driving along with all four of them in the van and having one of those moments that parents have. One of my sons (age 6 or so) was mad about something and would not listen to reason or advice. As the argument between a 30 year old dad and his 6 year old kid escalated – my son muttered, "I wish I wasn't even part of this family anymore." Well, after a couple more exchanges, he shouted it at me.

Wrong thing to do… I yanked the car over to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes at the same time. As we came to a skidding stop alongside the shoulder of the road, I reached back behind my wife's seat to the sliding door handle, yanked the handle and slammed the door back. There he sat at the open door looking from that to me with a questioning look.

"Fine, if you don't want to be part of this family then you don't have to. Get out. Go ahead. Get out right now! If you don't want to listen to me when I talk then we can end this right here. Get out of MY car and find a family that you DO want to be a part of," says the loving and caring father of a suddenly terrified six year old boy.

His face froze. He looked to the door, looked back at me and then at the door again. When he looked back at me the last time, he broke into tears and begged me not to make him get out.

You would think at that point that a loving father would melt. Oh no. Not me. I just continued to drill him and let him know that as long as he was part of this family (if he chose to stay) that he would listen, honor and obey me. "Do you understand?"

As he cried and nodded, I told him to close the door. So he stayed. I looked over to my wife as we pulled back on the road. She was looking straight ahead. I looked to the other kids in the car. Stone faces. No expressions. Hmmmm.

I wish I wasn't so mean.

To this day, we laugh about that – in fact, every once and a while one of the kids will say in their deepest scariest voice "GET OUT". It provokes outbursts of laughter now – but it wasn't so funny then. Eventually, I felt horrible.

I am so glad that I will never, ever hear the words "GET OUT" from my Father in heaven.

Hebrews 13:5-6 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." {6} So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

I am a pretty bad example of a loving father sometimes but God is the perfect Father that receives us back – even when we are bad – as long as we return to Him.

Return to Him today – He will never reject you. (and never make you get out of the van)