“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
— 1 John 1:9
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
— Psalm 103:12
I’ve noticed something about humans.
They carry things.
Not just garbage bags, grocery sacks, and fishing poles. They carry yesterday. Sometimes they carry it so long it looks heavier than a new bag of dog food.
Dogs don’t do that.
Take last Tuesday, for example. I accidentally ran into my human while he was carrying a fresh cup of coffee and I was beginning a porch dash toward a suspecting squirrel.
The coffee ended up on the porch, his shirt, his pants and on my sister dog that happened to be walking by.
I figured my days of porch privileges were over.
Instead, he calmed himself, looked at me, shook his head, and said, “Well, buddy…I guess I have to get some more coffee.”
Five minutes later we were walking to the mailbox like nothing had happened.
That’s forgiveness.
Later that evening, my human sat in his old rocking chair with his Bible open across his lap. The sun was settling behind the hayfield beyond the fence, painting everything in a golden light that makes even an old fence post look good.
He read about God’s forgiveness.
He said Jesus didn’t just cover our sins—He carried them away.
Not to the next county.
Not behind the barn.
Not under the rug.
But as far as the east is from the west.
I tilted my head.
I’ve wandered a long way chasing rabbits, but I’ve never found the end of east or west.
Then it made sense.
God doesn’t forgive halfway.
He doesn’t keep bringing up the bone we buried years ago.
He doesn’t say, “Remember what you did back then?”
Because when we confess our sins and place our trust in Jesus…
Grace says we’re loved
Mercy says we’re spared
Hope says tomorrow is still bright
Forgiveness says the debt has already been paid.
I think that’s why my human sleeps so peacefully after praying at night.
He isn’t carrying yesterday anymore.
As for me, I’m still trying to remember not to chase the neighbor’s cats. Progress is slow.
But I’m thankful my human keeps forgiving me.
Even more, I’m thankful God never runs out of forgiveness for His children.
And I’m grateful for the lesson my human keeps teaching….
“Grace is getting what we don’t deserve.
Mercy is not getting what we do deserve.
Hope is knowing tomorrow belongs to Jesus.”
That’s enough to make a forgiven old dog wag his tail.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
