As a parent, how do you know exactly the right time to extend grace?

I recently worked with a teen who rarely received grace at home. He spewed anger on everyone and everything around him, including the side of my van. But instead of having him arrested for bashing my vehicle with a baseball bat, I told him that he was forgiven, that he wouldn’t be arrested, and that we were going to work things out differently from now on.

As we talked, I saw tears come to his eyes. He had never experienced that kind of forgiveness. And giving him grace at just the right moment went a long way to change the direction he was headed.

Remember, giving grace is most often needed the moment when it’s least deserved.

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