Great story from a book I am reading. This guy is in his 20's and is living away from home for the first time, about 2 hours away from his mom and dad. He grew up in a very religious family and is doing his best to "keep the faith", if you will.
He's working a ton and has lots of stress and pressure and no friends in this new area. One of his high school buddies decides to visit one weekend. His friend knows how stressed he is so he brings some stress relievers.
Booze, porn, and cigars.
The guy isn't sure if he should indulge at first, but after a few beers he figures, what the heck. He deserves this.
Monday morning he wakes up feeling terrible. He is hung over from guilt and alcohol.
He gets to work feeling awful and alone. Just before lunch he looks up and sees his parents walking into the store.
Dude is mortified.
Mom and Dad walk up to him.
"Surprise! We knew you were having a hard time and decided to visit! We stopped by your house but it was locked. Mom wants to make you your favorite dinner for when you get home tonight, so can we have the keys?"
As any good bachelor does, nothing had been cleaned up from the weekend.
He can't let his parents see what he has been up to!
He gets permission to leave for lunch and tells his parents to give him a 5 minute head start, as he wants to tidy a little. He rushes home and stuffs all evidence from his weekend in a trash bag. He then burns a couple pieces of toast to cover up any incriminating smells.
Success! He gets finished just in time! His parents see and suspect nothing. He has a great lunch with then and an even better dinner when he gets home from work. Because of the drive for them, his parents decide to spend the night.
No problem! It feels good to have family around. He is surprised how much he has missed them.
The next morning he wakes up to the wonderful smell of coffee brewing. He smiles and walks into the kitchen, where his mom gives him a cherry "Good Morning!" and a hug.
"Where's Dad?"
"Oh, he's outside. Apparently a dog got into the trash bag you left on the curb and spread your trash all over the lawn! He's outside picking it up."
The son's heart stops.
He has been found out.
His father knows what he did by now.
How angry will be be?
How will he respond? A lecture?
Immense disapproval?
All the feelings he thought he had escaped come crashing down on him as he slowly trudges outside.
His father is just finishing cleaning the mess.
His father looks up at him and says
"Are you doing ok?"
Wow.
Just wow.
The father was more concerned about what caused his son to make those choices than he was about the choices.
He wanted to know what had happened to his son's heart. Wanted to know what led his son to reach for these things for comfort.
No anger.
No lecture.
The guilt was already there.
The sin was known.
Instead, love and caring was given.
Concern.
Love.
Conversation.
Healing follows these things.
Not shame.
May we see our own Father like this when we sin.
And may we treat our children and our friends and family the same.
