Bread For The Journey

 The Necklace 

I was a young girl, I'm not sure how old but definitely under the age of ten. 

I was shopping  with my mother in the local 5-$100 Store. 

This was long before the popular dollar stores but it was a store filled with a great variety of goods.  

There was so much to look at.   

Not that I expected to be allowed to have anything.

 I knew that was not why we were in the store, but I loved to look! 

My mother was at the till paying for her purchases conversing with the owner's wife. 

I stood waiting, admiring the jewellery that hung from a stand at the end of the counter.

Daring to reach out and touch, I fingered the stone in a necklace pendant. 

To my horror as I pressed my  thumb across it, the stone fell out of its setting. 

My heart racing, I looked around to see if anyone was watching! 

It seemed no one had. 

If I told what I had done, what would happen?  Would they be angry ? 

Would they take me away from my family?  

My heart pounding, my stomach in a knot , I made my decision.  

I slipped the stone out of sight under the hanging jewellery and said nothing. 

I walked out of the store with the guilt and shame of what I had done. 

I spend a sleepless night, fearing that someone had seen me and even if they hadn't, would figure out it was me that had broken the necklace. The police would be called..  would I go to jail?  

Was the sin of hiding my crime worse than the crime itself?
Guilt is not always measured by the severity of the crime, and secret guilt magnifies itself.   

Over time, the guilt was not as deep or as heavy but I never forgot what I had done.
I never told anyone.

Over 20 years later, I had grown up, married and was working at Eatons. 

A new employee was hired to work part time in the fabric department. 

I recognized her immediately as the owner of that 5-$100 store. 

Had God given me another chance to do what was right ? 

  I was in conversation with her one day and I took a deep breath and said,  

"I have something to confess to you."  

She smiled, wondering what it could possibly be! 

And I told her the story. 

She laughed, gave me a big hug and said, 

"I'm sure we must have just glued it back in. 

But thank you for telling me !"  

I was forgiven !!   

Even after all those years it was a burden lifted  -  my heart felt so light !     

Forgiveness! 

What a gift to give or to receive. 

So often we live with the burden of guilt fearing someone's anger or retaliation, 

when it is so much easier just to confess and ask for forgiveness. 

I think of God's forgiveness that He offers as a gift to anyone who asks for it. 

No matter what we have done, He smiles, hugs us and says... 

"You are forgiven, your sin is gone, but thank you for your confession!"  

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

I John 1:9