His Time Out Chair was the Cross
"Ima, hold me!" my little one said on a walk to the park one day.
We were about to head up a hill. It would have been easier for him to walk, but knowing one day he won't ask me to carry him anymore, I scooped him up.
"I love you." I whispered in his ear.
"I love you, too."
"And Abba loves you. Do you love him, too?"
"Yeah..."
"Do you know who else loves you?
"Who?"
"Yeshua. Yeshua loves you. Do you love Yeshua?"
"No.... Only you and Abba."
He has given me this response before. I've gone to the Lord in prayer about how to reply, and He said:
Tell him how much more I love him.
Because no matter how much I love Aviel, it can never compare to God's infinite love for my son... love that burns with jealousy, love stronger than death. One of my greatest callings is to point him toward that love.
"Oh well, I hope you will love Yeshua with your whole heart one day. He loves you. As much as Ima and Abba love you, Yeshua loves you so so so much more."
We turned the corner and the began climbing the steep hill.
"Do you know how much Yeshua loves you?"
"Hmmm....."
"He loves you so much that He went to time out for you."
Now this struck his attention.
"Time out?"
"Yep. Time out." I wondered if I was treading lightly on something so sacred. Since he was listening, I continued.
"We all broke the rules that God gave us, and we were supposed to take a very long time out, but Yeshua said, 'I'll go to time out for them, Abba.' and He took our time out... can you believe it?"
He laid his head on my shoulder and snuggled in. I could sense a real presence of the Holy Spirit with us.
"We all should have been punished. I should have gone to time out. Abba should have gone to time out. You should have gone to time out, but Yeshua said, 'I'll take their punishment and go to time out.'"
"Yeah... " he whispered. Something of this story was sinking in.
"Only, Yeshua didn't go to time out in a chair. Do you know where he went to time out?
"Hmm?" He was still nestled into my shoulder.
"His time out chair was the cross."
"Oh..." He sighed. We had been reading the story of the crucifixion from The Jesus Storybook Bible, as part of our Passover preparations. He was very familiar with Yeshua on the cross.
"Yeshua was punished on the cross, so we wouldn't be. He took our place. He took my place... Abba's place... your place.... He took the punishment that we all deserved.... and he died. That's how much he loves us. That's how much he loves you."
We walked the rest of the way in silence. As I carried my son up that hill, I though about Yeshua carrying His cross for me.
I offended God. I should have gone to Hell, but Love had a solution before the creation of the world. That solution is found in the person of Yeshua. Our humble God came down in human flesh and paid the price that I should have paid. He was my atoning sacrifice. He was the lamb slain for my sin. He took my place... He took the punished I deserved. And He took your place, too. Enter in, Beloved.
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Celebrating Passover
Hosea 3
We were about to head up a hill. It would have been easier for him to walk, but knowing one day he won't ask me to carry him anymore, I scooped him up.
"I love you." I whispered in his ear.
"I love you, too."
"And Abba loves you. Do you love him, too?"
"Yeah..."
"Do you know who else loves you?
"Who?"
"Yeshua. Yeshua loves you. Do you love Yeshua?"
"No.... Only you and Abba."
He has given me this response before. I've gone to the Lord in prayer about how to reply, and He said:
Tell him how much more I love him.
Because no matter how much I love Aviel, it can never compare to God's infinite love for my son... love that burns with jealousy, love stronger than death. One of my greatest callings is to point him toward that love.
"Oh well, I hope you will love Yeshua with your whole heart one day. He loves you. As much as Ima and Abba love you, Yeshua loves you so so so much more."
We turned the corner and the began climbing the steep hill.
"Do you know how much Yeshua loves you?"
"Hmmm....."
"He loves you so much that He went to time out for you."
Now this struck his attention.
"Time out?"
"Yep. Time out." I wondered if I was treading lightly on something so sacred. Since he was listening, I continued.
"We all broke the rules that God gave us, and we were supposed to take a very long time out, but Yeshua said, 'I'll go to time out for them, Abba.' and He took our time out... can you believe it?"
He laid his head on my shoulder and snuggled in. I could sense a real presence of the Holy Spirit with us.
"We all should have been punished. I should have gone to time out. Abba should have gone to time out. You should have gone to time out, but Yeshua said, 'I'll take their punishment and go to time out.'"
"Yeah... " he whispered. Something of this story was sinking in.
"Only, Yeshua didn't go to time out in a chair. Do you know where he went to time out?
"Hmm?" He was still nestled into my shoulder.
"His time out chair was the cross."
"Oh..." He sighed. We had been reading the story of the crucifixion from The Jesus Storybook Bible, as part of our Passover preparations. He was very familiar with Yeshua on the cross.
"Yeshua was punished on the cross, so we wouldn't be. He took our place. He took my place... Abba's place... your place.... He took the punishment that we all deserved.... and he died. That's how much he loves us. That's how much he loves you."
We walked the rest of the way in silence. As I carried my son up that hill, I though about Yeshua carrying His cross for me.
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Loyd Jones, Illustrated by Jago pp. 304-305
Related Posts:
The Angel of Death Won't Get In!
Celebrating Passover
Hosea 3
So beautiful! Thanks for sharing this.
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