I remember if I broke something, my first impulse was to try to repair it. I would frantically use glue, tape, touch-up paint, or whatever it took to cover up my error. Things never actually looked “good as new” as I might have hoped and my wrong doing was quickly discovered.
There were also times when my wrongdoing was so large that there was nothing in my ability or wallet to attempt to repair or hide my error. One such time was when I was probably around 12 years old and visiting my dad’s brother. We had a 1959 big white Ford 4 door with a big 332 cubic inch Thunderbird engine in it. For some reason it was blocking something we kids needed to do and I asked dad to move it for us. Surprisingly, he tossed me the keys and told me to move it, but be careful.
I was more concerned about how cool I would be sitting in our family car, pulling the transmission into reverse and moving the car back down the driveway. I jumped into the driver’s seat, started the car, put it into reverse, stepped pretty heavily on the gas pedal and backed it up. Unfortunately, I didn't go as far as I planned.
It seemed my uncle’s bright red, fully restored 1957 Thunderbird was in the way and I creased and scraped down half the driver’s side of the car. OH MAN! That was definitely not good. If I remember correctly, I began sweating immediately. I went down the list, glue, tape, touch up paint? Nothing in my bag of tricks would hide this mess. I messed up big time and it would not be long before I faced the music.
My cousin, Dennis, and I hid in the basement trying to conjure a plan but no plan could take away this one. I had to talk to Uncle Bill and dad. I walked into the living room, wondering what they might write on my tombstone, and told them what I did. I hadn’t even started working and I knew once I did, it would take until I was at least 60 years old to pay for this.
All I can remember is that I was not beaten, grounded, given a bill, or screamed at. I believe I was given a full measure of mercy and grace by both men. It just struck me as interesting that if they punished me in some way I would surely remember it, but I can’t remember exactly how grace was delivered. I only remember the lack of pain and trauma. I remember how horrible I felt. I remember how foolish I felt. I did remember how much I hoped I would live through the experience.
What has happened to having those kinds of feelings? As we watch the news, humanity seems to have cooled to the idea of feeling bad about things we do wrong. I recently saw the news about a couple of guys who stole a car and jumped the sidewalk, striking a little child and his mother. They left the car and walked away. They didn’t try to help the child pinned by the car, they just left. They didn’t go to the mom and tell her how sorry they were and wait for the police, they ran and hid. These days, it seems such action is more the norm than not. We hear and see such situations almost daily.
It took me back to the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3, God told Adam and Eve not to eat, nor even touch the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. Of course, we know the serpent talked them into eating it and like me, they must have known no glue, tape, or touch up paint would fix their sin. So, what did they do? They went and hid. Normally, God would walk through the garden and they would join Him but this time they were nowhere to be seen so God called out, “Where are you?” Adam replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” NO mention of hiding because he ate the fruit. Only that he was naked. Fathers have a way of knowing things and He knew Adam would know nothing of nakedness unless he had eaten of the tree. God asked Adam if he had eaten of it. Of course, he blamed Eve, saying it was all her fault.
God’s words to Eve were similar to my dad’s words to me, “What have you done?”
Oh Boy! Not those words. Most of us have probably heard them. Most of us have most likely felt the chill come over us when were heard them, right?
Following Adam’s lead, Eve blamed the serpent. Then God cursed the serpent and had Adam and Eve vacate the garden and here we are today.
I think I have mentioned this in an earlier writing but, again, what would have happened if Adam and Eve, realizing they had disobeyed God, sought Him out? What if they went directly to Him and told Him they had disobeyed and ate the fruit and apologized from deep within their hearts and asked for forgiveness? This seems to be the same dilemma we face today. We seem to be inclined to cover the truth as best we can, avoid it, ignore it, or blame someone else.
It strikes me that one part of all that might be different today. Adam and Eve knew they did wrong and hid from God. When Adam said he was naked, we have to believe he was feeling shame. Nakedness in such a situation is something that brings shame. Today, it seems many people who do wrong aren’t ashamed but merely try to avoid the repercussions that come with what they have done.
It seems today’s world might even be one step further away from dong the right thing than Adam and Eve. They felt shame when they did wrong but many of us don’t give sin a second thought. They hid and we hide. They didn't run to God and admit they messed up and we miss doing that a lot too. They placed the blame elsewhere and so do we. It seems throughout the history of mankind wrong doers think their wrong doing is not their fault. That is one of the biggest lies of the evil one. He lied to Adam and Eve and he lies to us today. At times he even has some of us blaming God for our wrong choices and that is so far from truth.
Maybe part of the difference is that Adam and Eve knew nothing of grace at the time. Today, we are fully aware of grace. Could it be that we take it for granted? Could it be that we abuse it? Could it be that we do what we do knowing in the deep recesses of our mind, we have grace?
Regardless of grace, how about stepping out of the cycle we see here? How about going to those we have done wrong against, confess our wrong doing and ask to be forgiven? How about forgiving those who have wronged us with the grace we receive daily from God? How about going to the Father and making our confession known and taking responsibility for it? Can we simply live a life filled with the idea of making things right where they need to be made right?
My thoughts went one step further. When we sin, do we just keep on going like nothing happened? Do we feel ashamed before God? Do we have some bad feeling about what we have done and how He will view us? Do we feel anything at all? Do we even notice when we sin? Do we have the desire to apologize and ask to be forgiven? Could it be time for a heart check of where we stand regarding our wrongdoing as it relates to our relationship with God?
I never expected to get the grace and mercy I got when I crunched the side of the Thunderbird but if I hid and tried to conceal it, I would have never known the graciousness of two men I greatly respected. Who knows, if I had hid and attempted to avoid taking responsibility for my actions, I too may have been asked to vacate the place I lived.
Thankfully, if we believe in Jesus Christ and accept His sacrifice,death, and resurrection for our sins, we are given so much grace that it covers all of our sins leading us to eternal life. Thanks be to God.