Over the Easter weekend a tremendous and long-awaiting event occurred at the Douglas house. Jake came to visit us for the weekend! My sons in particular had been looking forward to this time together since last fall when we heard that there was a chance he might come visit. Since then almost every weekend came the expected, “Is Jake coming this week?” So, after many months, the special visit arrived. We picked Jake up after school on Thursday, settled him in his cozy little room at the house while both boys busily made plans for the long, 4-day weekend. Before long, all 96 hours of the Easter weekend were lovingly and thoroughly planned for Jake and our family. Quite frankly the first 20 hours were spectacular. Jake fit in with the family wonderfully, participating in all the kid’s activities, eating what we gave him, and generally being quite pleasant. Our visit was going swimmingly.

Until he disappeared.

Or rather, I should say, until my 4-year Jonah old let him out of his cage….

And just like that, Jake the hamster was gone. The class pet, the children’s Kindergarten mascot, who I was ultimately in charge of keeping, well… alive…. was MIA.

Before I knew it, my generally low-key, tidy world (I write this with the caveat that I have 3 children under 6, a dog, and a cat <who’s role in this story will soon become apparent>, so take “low-key” and “tidy” for what you will…) was turned upside down. Instead of making dinner, I made non-lethal hamster traps (Google it, it’s a thing). Instead of cleaning my house, I searched my house. And quite frankly I was irate. I was furious. Not that the hamster was lost necessarily, I was angry that my son (who we had already caught messing with the cage multiple times) had disobeyed me once again. I was 1003% O.V.E.R. him!

Me, who is used to high energy, high adrenaline, high trauma work… was seeing RED at my son’s defiance. I was fuming. I called my husband, telling him to prepare himself for my mood and <his> child when he got home. I prepared for a long night, praying for a miracle; reasoning that it was Good Friday after all and surely if Christ could take the sins of the world upon Himself than certainly He could find and restore a rodent back into his cage. (Yes, my prayer was actually and literally that I would wake up and find little Jake happily and safely back inside his quarters… I know, I know… one can never accuse me of thinking or praying small!)

Fast forward to Saturday morning and Jake was found. Actually our cat Fievel was the one who discovered him and brought him to me like a good cat should. I, rather, found more specifically pieces of him. All over my bathroom floor. #goodmorningtome

I would have been mad except I literally don’t think my anger from the previous night could have gotten any higher. I was legitimately perhaps the angriest I’d ever been at one of my children. The fallout from his decision to defy me continued on and it was not lost on me how much of a headache this visit was turning out to be. It was totally lost on Jonah though- he seemed to not even remember how or when he had opened the cage, only that he had. And though very sorry to see the bits of Jake all over my tile floor, he clearly hadn’t made the connection that it was his disobedience that caused the hamster’s untimely death. It was infuriating that I couldn’t make him understand, and though he is only 4, I found myself resenting the ensuing expense and time to find another flippin’ rodent, the embarrassing text to the teacher about the situation, and generally living down what, for anyone else that’s not in the situation, is a hysterical story (the humor was not lost on me.) I resented him for it. Jonah could do nothing to fix the situation or even help it… an acknowledgment of guilt would have been nice at least. I was still angry.

Until my husband told me what had happened the previous night at church.

While I was busy (read: frantically) searching the house, christian-cussing under my breath about spending Friday night looking for a missing hamster who wasn’t even ours… my husband had taken Jonah to a Good Friday walk-through at our church. I’m pretty sure it was more to ensure the tot’s safety from my wrath than for his spiritual sake, but nevertheless at the end of the walk-through, having learned all about what happened to Jesus before and during his crucifixion, there was an opportunity to nail sins or burdens on a life-sized cross. When Gabe ask Jonah if there were any sins he needed to tell Jesus about he apparently replied, “I lost Jake.” And taking a way-too-big hammer with a fresh nail, he nailed that black piece of paper his daddy had written his little sin on to the cross.

Que: massive mom-regret and a wee bit of self-loathing…

I was hit with a tidal wave of conviction. 24 hours later and I hadn’t forgiven him yet, I was still dealing with the fall-out of his sins and disobedience and I desperately wanted him to understand what he had done.

It doesn’t matter Bethany.

He doesn’t understand anymore than you do of what sins you’ve committed. He and you don’t need to… that’s for Me to deal with, just as you are for him.

He asked for forgiveness. I have forgiven him.

You need to as well.

Ugh. Just like that, once again my kids show me the face of God and in that light the current unflattering state of my soul. If God can forgive then I certainly must as well. No grudges, no resentment, no record of wrongs.

Well… maybe a blog about that time our cat ate the Kindergarten class hamster… which, let’s be honest, will live in internetland forever.