White Out

As I was completing my bible study lesson for the week I made quite a few mistakes on my paper so I scratched out the mistakes with my black pen. Since I'm subbing this week the teacher had White Out on her desk. YIPPEE ... I never have white out at my house and I'd forgotten how fabulous that stuff is, especially if you're a perfectionist. Here are all these black marks on my nice white paper and the White Out - BAMMO - takes all the blackness away immediately. Now, I could go down the path that God is like White Out erasing all our sins so that we start out fresh and all that is very true, but I believe the Holy Spirit was saying something more than that. In our world of perfectionism we have forgotten that we CAN mess up and be forgiven. I know that forgiving myself after I've yelled at my kids, been selfish, said mean things to a friend, etc. I have a hard time moving forward. I know, with my head, that my sins are as far as the east is from the west, but do I believe that? No, not actually. Why don't I believe it? Because I do not understand the POWER of God. I forget to buy the White Out, I forget to believe Him and take Him for what He says He is. He has forgiven me. It is over when I repent. Just like pulling the little White Out wand out of the bottle to wipe it over the black smudge mark - God is over it as soon as I apply the grace. Why can I believe that a white liquid can erase my black pen mark, but believing that the God of the universe has forgiven me is mind boggling? Maybe because I think it's up to me. So ... I challenge you today to BELIEVE Him and tell yourself to shut up. :)