Lesson Learned at Work: You're Forgiven

Riley and Finn come here.

These two little boys walked over to me eyes wide, hands behind their back and they were looking right at me. They knew they were in trouble.

“Guys, did you not hear Ms. Barbara when she told you stop crawling through the chairs? Did you tell you stop?”

They both nodded a yes.

“But you decided to just ignore her didn’t you?”

This time the both said, “yes.”

“Boys, if Barbara or any of these teachers ask you to do something you do it. It doesn’t matter if it’s Ms. Dee (their teacher) or not. If one of these teachers tells you to stop….you stop. Do you understand? I don’t want to ever see you do that again!”

With heads bowed low they said, “yes.” 

“Okay, now you can go play, but don’t do it again.”

After I dismissed them they both went to two different corners and started to cry. I called them both back over and said what’s wrong. You guys can go play now!

They both looked at me with tears and said, “we feel guilty.”

I just smiled and got down my knees and said well it’s good that you know what you did was wrong, but you don’t need to feel guilty anymore. I have forgotten about it. But you won’t do it again will you?

They both nodded.

It’s okay. I’m glad you realize what you did wasn’t good, but you’re going to miss out on play time if you spend all your time sitting here.

Riley seemed to get it. He tried his tears, and went off and played, but not Finn.

“Finn, you can go play now.”

“I don’t want to go play!”

“haha…why not, buddy?”

“I feel guilty! I’m bad”

Oh Finn. You’re not bad. I was a little disappointed because you know better.  You and Riley know what you are suppose to do, you just not to do it.  But I am not mad.  Finn, you know that you are not bad, right?

Finn shook his head. That he didn’t believe me, that he wasn’t bad.

“Finn, Now, I don’t like what you did. But you are not bad. What you did wasn’t very nice. But, you are not what you did. Does that make since?

He nodded.

I have forgiven you and forgotten all about. It’s like it never happened.

In the moment when I said it’s like it never happened I could see his chest relax. He looked up at me with tears still in his eyes, but with a smile on his face this time.

“Finn, go play! Just don’t do it again! That’s all!”

It took him some time. He still sat beside me for a little while longer and sulked, but eventually did get up and go play again.

In that moment of telling Finn I had forgiven and that I had forgotten about it I really meant it. I had moved on from it. It happened. I didn’t want it to happen again. So I addressed the issue, but I wasn’t still upset over it. I truly wasn’t even thinking about. Finn on the other hand was.

That’s when I got a small glimpse into what I do sometimes. God is saying, “I have forgiven you and forgotten it.”

But I still sit there and shake my head in disbelief of what He saying to me. In different ways it’s like God is saying, “I forgiven you and forgotten it. Not get up and go play.”

One of the biggest lessons I am learning is I can’t change what happened in the past! What’s done is done. But if I keep looking back I will miss out on the amazing things God has in store up ahead.

Lots wife in (Gen 19:26) turned into a pillar of salt when she turned back. She could not longer move ahead into what God had planned because she looked back.

It was in that moment I was reminded that I have been forgiven. Now move on. “Go play!” Get busy doing what I have been called to do. I will miss out if I keep sitting  around crying over what I can’t change when God had forgiven me and forgotten it.

Same goes for you!