Our Stories
Keep Your Eye On the Drum
By Aaron Soderlund | posted 08/12/2010
"My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." (Proverbs 3:11-12)
4:00pm: Haircut to get ready for new business card picture
4:30pm: Done with haircut; Head for home
4:45pm: Arrive home
5:00pm: Play downstairs with Nathan and Josh
5:15pm: Lie behind the couch on the pillows and blankets playing "pretend sleeping game" while Nathan goes to get toys
5:16pm: A couple balls come over the back of the couch
5:17pm: A full drum (yes, a drum) comes over the back of the couch
5:17:01pm: Said drum lands on my eye (remember they were closed because of playing the "sleeping game")
5:17:02pm: "Ooooouuuuuuccccchhhhhh!!!!!"
5:17:05pm: Hand to eye and run to bathroom to stop the bleeding
5:18pm: Nathan: "What's wrong Daddy?"
5:18:10pm: Me: (in the bathroom with tissue over my eye) "You dropped a drum on my face, Nathan."
5:18:15pm: Nathan: "Oh."
5:18:30pm: Me: "Nathan, I'm not upset with you. But you have to know not to drop things on top of people, especially drums."
5:18:45pm: Nathan: "Sorry Daddy."
5:19pm: (Realization) I may need to reschedule my photoshoot, which means I may need another haircut.
5:25pm: All bleeding stopped and time for dinner. Two Aleve.
So this was my Monday afternoon. Why do I tell you about this? One because it's kinda funny. And two, because I had a very clear realization (besides that I needed to reschedule my photoshoot). Not once during that whole process of pain was I upset with Nathan. That was the one of the more physically painful things that I have recent memory of. And while I let out a loud "Ouuuuuuucccccchhhhh!!!" I was never upset with my son who inflicted this pain on me. Now had he done it on purpose, we may have a different story. But I know it was an accident.
But literally as I was covering my eye with toilet paper to sop up all the blood that was dripping from above my eye, I thought, I'm not even upset with him. This is a little like God's love for us.
We do things daily that cause pain to our father. Sure, maybe they aren't physically painful things, but emotional pain is actually worse, wouldn't you say? And despite all of the pain we inflict, he still loves us without skipping a beat.
While, yes, I wanted Nathan to learn from this and not do it again, even on accident. I also wanted him to know that I was not upset with him and I loved him. Don't we feel that same thing from God? Because I believe that to be true. I know I hurt my Father. But I also know that he loves me just as much as he did before I dropped my drum on his eye.
Aaron can be reached via email here.
