Lessons from the Playground

Do you remember see-saws?  Little kids today may not.  I'm sure they have been removed from most parks and playgrounds because they pose a safety risk.  They have probably been replaced with something boring and safe like rubber-coated balance beams.  But, anyway...back to see-saws.  Remember the challenge of finding just the right balance with the person on the other end?  Remember being the heavier kid and having your teeth jarred when you crashed to the ground?  Remember being the lighter kid who got stuck in the air with no chance of getting down unless the big kid on the other side jumped off.  And then your teeth got a jarring!  Did you ever try to stand in the middle of a see-saw and balance it yourself?  Now that's tough!  But, that's what Jesus does for us.  If God's mercy and grace are on one end of the see-saw and his wrath and justice are on the other, which end do you think should be weighted down on the ground permanently?  If we got what we deserved, the little kid, Mercy, would be stuck in the air forever.  But, thank God, Jesus is in the middle constantly keeping the balance.  Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."  Did you catch that...justified?  Brought back into balance, perhaps?  Through Jesus, I have access to God's grace.  Without him, I would be stuck down in God's wrath and justice.  I am so glad Jesus is with me on the see-saw of life.

(Enjoy the illustration...just remember there is a reason I like to write and not draw.)