If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it. (Genesis 4:7 NRSV Bible)
Paul Harvey tells an amusing story about some airline baggage handlers who retrieved an animal carrier from the luggage bay of an airplane. As they removed the carrier, they made a gruesome discovery--the dog inside was dead. The baggage handlers panicked. They thought there might be lawsuits, and they might even lose their jobs. They told the woman passenger that her dog had been sent to another destination by mistake. They promised her they would find her dog and have it delivered to her. With that assurance, the woman went home.

The baggage handlers set out to find another dog to replace the one that had died. Finally, they found a dog that was a perfect match. They put the substitute dog in the animal carrier and sent it to the woman's address.

The woman took one look at the dog and exclaimed, "That's not my dog! My dog is dead. I was bringing her home for burial."

Yes, we make mistakes. Yes, we sin, but God loves us nonetheless. Of course, sin moves us away from God, but seeking forgives through prayer brings us closer to God's fulfilling love.

God of forgiveness, for too long I have carried around my baggage of sin that I have not let go of. Please forgive me. Please free me. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

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