Recaptured by the Kindness of King Jesus | Lisa Harper | Gateway Church

Speaking of family, I’d love to share mine with you. I have a beautiful daughter, and I became a mother through the miracle of adoption the year I turned 50. To be honest, I was terrified. In my 20s and 30s, I struggled with intimacy, filled with fear and uncertainty. But in His kindness, God blessed me with motherhood later in life. I brought Missy home from Haiti the year I turned 50, and it has been the most incredible journey. Now, at 60, I look back on the past decade with overwhelming gratitude. Next to Jesus, Missy is the greatest gift I’ve ever received. Even ten years into motherhood, I still feel like I’m in the honeymoon phase.

Missy is an amazing young girl—sweet, loving, and full of life. But, as a typical 14-year-old, she is not a morning person. Meanwhile, I absolutely love mornings. I wake up ready to sing, dance, and enjoy the start of a new day. She, however, does not share my enthusiasm.

One morning, just before Christmas, I was driving Missy to her Christian school in Nashville. As a parent, I sometimes realize too late what I should have done—usually after I’ve already done what I shouldn’t have. Since it’s just the two of us, I bear the full responsibility of parenting, and let’s just say, I don’t always get it right.

That morning, Missy was unusually quiet—nothing but crickets from her side of the car. She just sat there, staring out the window, looking completely unbothered. I gently reminded her to eat her bagel since we only had a 15-minute drive to school. No response. A little voice in my head, probably the Holy Spirit, told me to let it go. If she gets hungry later, she’ll learn her lesson. But I couldn’t help myself. A few minutes later, I reminded her again. Still, nothing.

I decided to wait through a whole song—hoping that some Christian music might soften her heart. Then, for the third time, I urged her to eat her bagel before we arrived at school. At this point, the cream cheese had started melting, and I heard myself saying, “Baby, when you take a bite, lean forward so the cream cheese doesn’t get on your navy blue Christian school shirt.” As soon as I said it, I regretted it.

That was it. The last straw. Missy’s face changed, and I knew I had officially gotten on her last nerve. I told myself, Let it go. Don’t say another word. I made it through half of another Christian song before glancing over at her. And that’s when I saw it—right in the center of her navy blue shirt, a perfect circle of cream cheese. For a split second, I thought the bagel had somehow attacked her. But then it hit me. There was no way that cream cheese could be that perfectly placed unless she had done it on purpose.

I couldn’t believe it. She had deliberately taken the bagel apart and smashed it onto her shirt.

I did what any parent might do in a moment of pure disbelief—I pulled the car over. With all the authority I could muster, I said, We do not act like this. We are Harpers. That is completely disrespectful!

And then…I said a word that is most definitely not in the Bible.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Missy, my sweet miracle child, looked me straight in the eyes and, with all sincerity, said, Mom, Jesus doesn’t like it when you say that word.

And because I am a very mature Christian, I responded, Well, if Jesus were here, He’d say it too!

I was so mad.

Every now and then, I get a humbling reminder—sometimes from my daughter, sometimes from struggling into a pair of Spanx—that I need a course correction. A little WWJD moment. A reminder that grace is something I need just as much as I try to give.

This version keeps the heart and humor of the original but refines the storytelling for readability, clarity, and SEO effectiveness. Let me know if you’d like any tweaks!