Hey Sisters,

Two summers ago, I had a nasty fall off my bicycle.  Ray had carefully instructed me, time and time again, to brake with my right hand brake first, and never the left hand brake.  He explained that the left hand brake operated the front wheel and if I braked with that alone, I would find myself flying over my bicycle.  Oh I wish I had listened!  We were turning a corner and I was holding my water bottle in my right hand.  I felt I was going too fast so I braked with the left hand and the next thing I knew I was on the pavement with some horrific abrasions and much blood on my arm and leg.  Nothing like an object lesson to cement the advice to brake with the right hand first. Well, we picked me up and knocked on the door of a nearby house.  I had sand and grit and dirt ground up inside my wounds and I knew that all of that stuff had to come out so there would not be an infection.  It was early on a Saturday morning, and although it was the home of someone we knew, the owner did not recognize me in sunglasses and bike helmet and streaming with blood.  To his everlasting credit, he let me in, thinking I was a stranger and let me wash my arm and leg in his bathroom.  It took a long time to scrub myself clean and it HURT!

Sometimes confession is like that.  We do something that is contrary to God’s Word and we don’t particularly want to bring it to the Lord and confess it because it’s raw and ugly and bleeding and we know that it will hurt as we confess it.  However, to ignore sin and leave it is to invite infection and a much worse mess.  If I hadn’t cleaned my cuts carefully, I could have caused a big infection that might have spread and even killed me.  We all know we have to get the dirt out.  It’s the same with sin.  As soon as we realize we have said or thought or done something wrong, we need to bring it to the Lord and be washed and cleansed.  It might sting a little to confess that once again we have failed, but after the sting comes the refreshment and peace of knowing all is clean and healthy and well again.  We heal better if we don’t let sin fester.  I am so thankful for the time of confession we have each prayer time with our Moms in Prayer groups. This regular time of confession trained me to let God examine my heart often.  I have learned to run right away to the Father when I have sinned. How thankful I am that God always welcomes me and always forgives me and cleanses me.  I don’t want to let that dirt sit.  I want it gone.  I am so grateful for His cleansing power!!

PS: Always brake with your right hand brake first.  Just sayin’.