Held When the Card Declines
The line at the register feels miles long when the card declines. You watch your child's face drop as you have to say no to the small treat they were counting on.
The shame burns hotter than the frustration. In that moment, the light does not look away from your empty account.
It sees the love behind the refusal. It knows you would give them the world if you could.
The silence of the machine does not measure your worth as a parent. You are held in the very moment you feel most exposed.
The light is not in the transaction. It is in the hand you hold on the walk back to the car.
Drawing from
Matthew 6:18, Mark 5:19
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