Forgiveness For Contravening Humans

My son drives me crazy some days.
With tantrums, refusing to eat anything but cookies, getting into things he really shouldn't be in, and throwing things down the stairs, it's enough to make anyone lose their mind.
He also likes to help me out with daily tasks.
When he washes dishes with me he gets a bath and so does the entire kitchen!
When I am feeding the dog he sits there and eats the pieces as I put them into the bowl. He looks up at me and says "Helpin' Mommy!"
I must admit he's cute!
When its laundry time he throws all the clothes he can locate down the stairs, in effort to get them closer to the washer.
When it comes time to unload the dryer and fold the laundry, he pulls it all out of the dryer and on to the floor. He attempts to put it in the basket, but alas he is too short and weak to get it in, so the floor is a good last restort.

But I have to give him credit for trying. He is so curious and eager to learn new things! He wants to try everything!
He has a fresh outlook on things and it is so refreshing!

Just yesterday I was making supper and he was in the kitchen 'helping' me cook. He found a bag of small potatoes and he decided they should go down the stairs!
As I sat at the table and cut up the vegetables for my Greek salad I was constructing, he was busy darting back and forth from the stairs to the kitchen.
I looked up and I asked him what he was doing. This is how our conversation went.

Me: Jude, what are you doing?
Jude: 'Tatoe down stairs
Me: Really? You think that's a good place for them?
Jude: Good Jude!

After the amusment of watching him toss about three downt he stairs when he thought I wasnt watching, I had him clean them up.

Later on that day he wanted to help me let the dog out.
We were out in the country and the yard is large and far from the road.
So I opened the door to the house and gestured the dogs to go outside.
As I went to get my dog to put her outside too, Jude slipped out the door.
He had winter boots, a sleeper, and a sweater on.
And he was out the door haha.

I stood in the doorway calling him as he ran across the snowy yard laughing in amusment at himself.
He thought he was funny and clever because he'd outsmarted me and now had the yard to play in without me there to tell him no.
He walked around in the snow and thought it was great. I called him inside and he ignored me completely.
Then it hit him.
SNOW IS COLD!
He'd tripped a few times and gotten snowy, and he was not happy about it one bit.

He eventually decided to come back inside where it was warm and turned around to come back to the house.
But at that point he was wet from the snow and rather cold. He sat down in the yard and sobbed.
I could hear him from across the yard calling for me.
I got boots on and trecked out to get him.
He was so sad that he was wet and cold.
I brought him inside and gave him cuddles and then a warm bath.

I was going to punish him for disobeying me and not listening when I called him inside, but I think being cold and such was punishment enough.
He'd had his fun but once reality set in that it was not all fun and games, he had decided to come back in the house.
See my son is stubborn and hard headed.
He wants to do things himself and his way.
I find most people are like that to an extent.

The Bible speaks of children disobeying their parents quite frequenty.
The parable of the Proigal Son is a great example.

*In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.  The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
  “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.  After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.  He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
   “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!  I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’  So he got up and went to his father.
   “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
   “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
   “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.* Luke 15:9-32

Jude ran across the yard and didn't listen when I instructed him to come back to the house. He was feeling pretty good and independant. But I knew what the result would be of his actions.
We all disobey and contravene our parents and their rules.
We do the same with God.

We all sin and do things we shouldn't.
And yes God is disappointed and sad because He knows what the result of our actions will be.
Just like with Jude.
I knew his hands would be cold and he'd quit and want help from me to bring him inside. I knew he'd be unhappy. But he had to figure that out too.

God knows where our choices will take us and what consequences they have, but He cannot stop us from making them. He can call out to us and ask us not to do something, but he cannot stop us from doing them. That is why he gave us free will. We need to make these decisions ourselves and learn from our mistakes.
Yes we rebel and disobey, but God forgives.
He accepts us back home with open arms and an open heart.

No matter the mistakes we've made or how badly we've rebelled, He wants to forgive us, and all we have to do is sincerely ask and repent, and ask for forgiveness.
So there is hope, don't forget that.