Consequences, Forgiveness, Grace & other challenging issues...

Let me dive right in. I don't do well doling out consequences to my children. In fact, even if I give them I do even worse at STICKING with them. And I'm a stubborn gal. So this isn't about lack of will here people.

I get hung up on the grace issue. On where is the line between grace and consequences. Where is the room for the proverbial "second chance"?

Every time I get ready to lay down the law of the land and my 7 year old looks at me begging for a second chance I begin to waiver. And my internal dialogue goes something like this, "God gave me a second chance, heck he gave me a 100th chance, shouldn't I extend the same grace to my children?"

The Lord sooooo (I could add more o's if it would further emphasize my point) lavished His grace and forgiveness upon me that it has changed me forever. I'm talking about at a point in my life when the ground could have opened up and swallowed me because of my sin. He met me there, forgave, washed,  made new, redeemed, restored...THE WORKS.

So when it comes time to give the consequence I baulk. Shouldn't I lavish that same forgiveness on my little ones? I train, I correct, I coach and coax but I rarely consequence.

Someone wise told me once, "When Jesus died on the cross He paid the price for your sin and the consequences that came with it." That's stuck with me. Doesn't mean we willfully choose to walk in sin because of the grace given. That cheapens the price paid. Literally a slap in the face of Someone who gave His own son.

And no, I'm not training my kids to run all over me. They're not "playing me". And I'm definitely not perfect in this area. In fact, there are those that may argue I extend too much grace. I know the way I'm doing things varies greatly from the way I was raised.

I don't know. This is feeling right to me. But I want to walk down the middle of this thing and not swing too far to the left or right. Incidentally the flip side of my current position is where I started my parenting journey. Poor first born child of mine. So all that to say I know it's important to not be so overboard in one direction or the other. It's a balance.

And I'm open to feedback. Have any?