One fall
afternoon I went for a walk with my three youngest grandchildren along the
gravel road adjacent to our yard. We
followed it for a quarter of a mile to the pond. Once there, four year old Caleb excitedly
made his way onto a large fallen birch tree.
The base was still submerged in the water with the trunk lying
perpendicular to the road. Since the
tree branch ended about four feet off the ground and in the pond besides, I
cautioned him to go no farther than a certain point because I didn't want him
to fall. He replied, “Oh, don’t worry
about me, Grandma. I’m a strong kid -
I’m just like Spiderman!!!!!!” Confidence
in his own athletic ability exuded from his little body.
As I
turned to help two year old Seth, I heard a thud and a yowl. Sure enough, there was Caleb on the ground
just inches from the water, crying. Five
year old Selma and I got him back to the road, dusted him off and haphazardly
made it back home....
Two days
later, Selma, Caleb and I went for another walk to the same place. The weather was perfect with sunny skies and
the wonderful smell of fall in the air.
Caleb ran ahead of us and gently climbed onto the fallen branch. This time I heard him call out, "It's
O.K., Grandma, don't worry about me! I
am sooooooo sorry that I disobeyed you.
I went too far and I fell. I am
sooooooooo sorry! I promise I will only
go this far!" With that he stopped,
firmly planted his small feet on the branch, turned, and smiled at me with no
fear of reprisal or discipline....just an honest little heart admitting his
wrong and expectantly accepting forgiveness.
A few
minutes later we sat on another log as Selma and Caleb helped me to enter a
magical imaginary world of outer space adventure. As the kids chased from the "doggy"
planet to the "kitten" planet in our “supersonic spaceship”, I sat
there pondering the amazing truth that I had just witnessed. Caleb had confessed his disobedience with a
heart that was determined to do right from here on. He had expected to be forgiven because he was
truly sorry for what he had done. He
recognized the consequences of his sin and had no desire to repeat them. When he looked over at me and gave me a big
toothy grin, he was making sure that he was forgiven and from then on he did
not worry or keep asking me to forgive him.
He changed his ways and forgot about any problem. He was happy and joyful and enjoyed the rest
of the day!
Truly,
that is why Jesus died on the cross – and why we celebrate Easter. He came to give us the way in which we can
come to Him and receive total and complete loving forgiveness. No matter how many times we disobey and fall,
no matter how wrong we have been, or the mess we have made in our lives, no
matter how wrapped up in the cares of this world; if we ask, He is always there
to pick us up, dust us off and lovingly offer us a helping hand. Not only does
He offer help and forgiveness for today but He also gives us the hope of true
life with Him in eternity! We have only
to ask and surrender our lives to Him.
GOD
SAYS;
YOUR SINS
ONCE CONFESSED
FORGIVEN/FORGOTTEN
Have a good day! Love, Sue
Love this!
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