Taking responsibility

You ever noticed that we live in a culture where it's never anyone's fault that something went wrong, went awry, or just plain didn't happen?  If you don't believe me, just ask them.  They'll be happy to avow that it wasn't their fault.

I had a moment in 10th grade where Mr. Nash, the geometry teacher from one of Dante's lower rings of hell, gave an assignment and I didn't do it for some reason or another.  I turned in a piece of paper with my name on it.  He gave me a 4.

Yes.  A 4.

We had a situation like that pop up in our house.  You can hardly believe that a pastor's family isn't perfect, I know, but it did happen in our domain.

The Ninja was supposed to get some homework done.  He didn't.  The Queen or I was supposed to sign that it got done.  We didn't.

The teacher did an unbelievable thing:  she sent home his paper with a failing grade on it.  Shock.  Dismay.  Awe.

Gratitude.

The work didn't get done.  She said it didn't get done.  The grade was perfectly in line with the work (and the parenting).

And it was a great opportunity to talk to the Ninja about how he needed to make sure his homework got done.  And, yes, we took responsibility that we didn't sign the paper and double-check the work.  After a few moments of writhing and it's-not-fair whining, I think he got it.

It'll be better for our culture, our families, our churches, and our souls if we can embrace that it just might be our fault and own up to that.  Along with sin comes the temptation to deflect its evil to someone else's account.  Thus, Jesus has us own our sin via confession before He'll take it from us.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...