Micah 7:18
Who is a God like you, who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but instead delights in mercy
I have found that one of the tricky parts of parenting is knowing how long to show your child that you are angry or upset with him or her. We went on a family outing last weekend and it got cut short due to one of my son's behavior. As we were walking through the parking lot back to the car, we held hands and he squeezed mine a few times, like we randomly do just to check in while walking. I could tell that the squeezes were a check-in to see just how mad I was and whether I was willing to still show this sign of affection. I had to think through it and I figured, even though I'm mad, I want him to know I love him, so I squeezed back.
That balance between discipline and mercy is one that is hard for us, but God perfectly shows it over and over again. In today's first reading, the prophet Micah reminds us that God's anger melts into mercy because of who He is. The choice is ours though how to respond in the times we have sinned. Do we ask for forgiveness and reach out and squeeze his hand looking for a sign of his love OR do we fold our arms, thinking that we know better. And when someone who has offended us extends a hand, looking for that sign that everything is ok, it's our chance to give them a glimpse of God's great mercy.
