Reflection

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” Romans 4:7-8

Last week I showed my sister-in-law a DVD of our homeschool’s “end of the year ceremony” for the 2013-2014 school year. As we enjoyed the video, my mind went back to the kids’ godsister’s college graduation lunch last month. I’ve known their godsister, Maia, since she was about 10 and I’m so very proud of the young woman she’s become!

Her parent’s graduation gift was the highlight of the lunch. They gifted her repayment of the loans she borrowed to pay for a portion of her college tuition! That’s when the flood gates opened. It started with a bottom lip quiver, then eyes welling with water until she just gave up and let it flow (laughing). I let the tears flow myself. (And I had done so well at keeping it together up till that point!)

While my good friends went on to say there was no other gift they thought more fitting, I could see utter relief wash over Maia, a looming burden lifted. As someone who still has med school loans to repay, I could CERTAINLY appreciate the magnitude of the gift. They didn’t owe it to her at all; it was a gift in the truest sense. They paid for private schooling from elementary through high school, helped her secure college scholarships and paid for her housing. I’d say they’d done plenty! Maia’s watery response portrayed the realization of another dimension of her parent’s love for her.

Looking at her tear-stained face; I heard His voice from within say, “how much more the joy of one who knows an even greater debt has been forgiven.” Maia’s monetary debt, my monetary debt, pales in comparison to the debt we owed God. And there was no payment plan for it as we could never have paid it. Thank God for Jesus who paid it all! There is nothing left hanging over my head, nothing more for me to dread, only a life enjoying His presence instead!