I have been thinking some more about my strong reaction to Sara hurting Isaac yesterday and God's reaction to our misbehavior toward each other. I was talking with one of my friends who said she sometimes will let her almost 2 year old fight back a bit with her 3 1/2 year old before intervening so the older girl experiences the receiving end of the behavior she often dishes out. The difference is this case is that Isaac is defenseless and vulnerable. I think that biblically God does have a special place in his heart for the defenseless and for children. Our small group has been studying the book of Matthew and we recently finished chapter 18 where Jesus says, "Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Those are pretty strong words. Then in chapter 19 the disciples are rebuking people for bringing children to Jesus. (What Jesus said in chapter 18 didn't sink in.) Jesus says, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." God is called a "father to the fatherless" and a "defender of widows." He watches over aliens.(Psalms 68:5, 146:9)