She sits down at my table to a plate of just barely warm eggs.  She’s tired and she has a long stressful day ahead of her.  It’s only 8 am.

“Let’s preach the gospel to each other.” She whispers with wild eyes.  “I’ll go first: He is in control.”

Over the course of just 2 minutes we rehearse at least the following truths of the gospel:

• He loves us more than we can imagine.
• He is working everything for our good, even if it hurts.
• His name is Justice.  Even when we feel like we have not justice.
• He will never leave or forsake us.
• Our job isn’t to be perfect, but to repent, forgive, and love because we are loved.

And hours later I watch my kids climb trees and pick clover and completely ignore the park structures just 10 feet from us, I wonder about this exchange.  I wonder that we, like my children, ignore the specifically constructed playground of the gospel, in preference for pushing each other up the rough ladder of perfectionism. We whisper “Higher, higher.  Just pick yourself up again.”  Instead of “Run to Jesus.  He loves you.  It’s he who works in you.”

What if we stopped giving that piece of advice?  What if we stopped telling our stories under the guise to encourage?  What if we stopped pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps to try again and just cry ugly tears and ask a friend to simply preach the gospel to us?

What if we spent our waking hours preaching the gospel to each other?  To our husbands, to our children, to our friends, to the lady with mascara streaks standing in the ice cream aisle, and even to ourselves.

So tell me, friends, how can we preach the gospel this week?  Or how have you preached the gospel in the past?  I’m hungry to know how the gospel works out.