Mom's Cup of Joe

This morning on my way to Target (really Starbuck’s), I heard Natalie Grant give a short message about forgiveness.




She started by saying that she was heading to the airport to catch a flight out and saw workers in the ditches on the way picking up trash. They were wearing the usual bright orange vests, however, she noticed they were hunched over and acting as if they did not want to show their faces. Then she saw the words printed on the back of each vest - “I am a drunk driver”. Now that had an impact . . .



It bothered her so much all the way to the airport. She knew that it wasn’t the community service that bothered her because there are needed consequences for their actions, however, she continued to reflect on their troubled faces and the fact that they were required to wear their sin posted on their backs. Did you get that? What if we were required to wear our sins posted on our backs for all to see? For all to judge? She also noted that if she were to wear a vest with all her sins written upon it, how large it would have to be. Natalie said that she is thankful that we are not all required to wear vests with our sins written upon our backs.



She went on to say that she is so grateful for grace. God’s grace. Because of his grace, we could all wear one vest with one word written on it “Forgiveness” and how thankful we should be for that wonderful gift from God. Because of God we are not required to wear our sins on our vests for all to see, to judge and be critical of . . . instead we know that the love of Jesus Christ means that we are all forgiven because he loves us. His name means peace and love and forgiveness. All we need is to have faith in our Lord and know that he is with us.



She went on to say that because God loves us so much, when we fall into deep water, he will never let us drown, when we fall into a fire, we will never get burned. He is there to lift us up and insure us that we have eternal life. That doesn’t mean that we won’t have times of struggles. It just means that God is with us when we do.



As I listened I thought of all the times I am judgmental, critical and unforgiving. I prayed that God would use this message as a reminder to me to be less critical of others and to remember that because we believe God, everyone has the same right to wear that vest with the word “forgiven” written upon it.



Luke 6:37 Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.