I took an old black jar and five squares of paper.
We read the account of the death of Jesus and we talked again about the woman who came to him in her sin, knowing that only He could make her clean.
We talked about the suffering,
the nails,
the blood,
and how, as He hung on that cross, our names were playing over and over in His mind.
It was all for us.
I handed the papers to my children, hoping this would help them see the completeness and finality and eternity of God's forgiveness.
"Whatever you struggle with...and we all struggle with something...write it down. We will seal it in the black jar and throw it in the dumpster outside."
"What? You're going to throw the jar away, too?"
"Yes, the jar goes, too. God tells us He casts our sins as far as the East is From the West and He remembers them no more."
They look at the papers quizzically. Mari and Drew take great delight in what they decide is an art project, writing their names and then writing each others name. It makes me laugh inside.
Katie grabs a pen and begins to write in earnest. I am thrilled to see her own this. I have no idea what she wrote. Gracie begins and then asks me,
"How do you spell sorry?"
I tell her quietly and inwardly praise Him for her sweet heart.
DJ frowns. "I don't know what to write."
"I can't tell you what to write. This is totally up to you. There is no right or wrong here. Just write what is on your heart."
He frowns again and hesitates then finally hunches over the paper and begins to write quickly, in tiny letters, and finishes by folding the paper as small as possible before placing it in the jar.
I seal the jar and I look at my children.
"Jesus said, to everyone who came to Him with their sin..."
I wipe tears that escape my eyes.
"He looked at them with love and He said...'You are forgiven. Your faith has made you whole.'"
We walk outside and place the black jar full of black sin in the dumpster and leave it.
Leave it behind.
We blow out the candles, all but one.
The one in the cross we leave lit until 9am, when He left His earthly body. At 9 we all blow that last candle out together and we wait.
We wait.
We read the account of the death of Jesus and we talked again about the woman who came to him in her sin, knowing that only He could make her clean.
We talked about the suffering,
the nails,
the blood,
and how, as He hung on that cross, our names were playing over and over in His mind.
It was all for us.
I handed the papers to my children, hoping this would help them see the completeness and finality and eternity of God's forgiveness.
"Whatever you struggle with...and we all struggle with something...write it down. We will seal it in the black jar and throw it in the dumpster outside."
"What? You're going to throw the jar away, too?"
"Yes, the jar goes, too. God tells us He casts our sins as far as the East is From the West and He remembers them no more."
They look at the papers quizzically. Mari and Drew take great delight in what they decide is an art project, writing their names and then writing each others name. It makes me laugh inside.
Katie grabs a pen and begins to write in earnest. I am thrilled to see her own this. I have no idea what she wrote. Gracie begins and then asks me,
"How do you spell sorry?"
I tell her quietly and inwardly praise Him for her sweet heart.
DJ frowns. "I don't know what to write."
"I can't tell you what to write. This is totally up to you. There is no right or wrong here. Just write what is on your heart."
He frowns again and hesitates then finally hunches over the paper and begins to write quickly, in tiny letters, and finishes by folding the paper as small as possible before placing it in the jar.
I seal the jar and I look at my children.
"Jesus said, to everyone who came to Him with their sin..."
I wipe tears that escape my eyes.
"He looked at them with love and He said...'You are forgiven. Your faith has made you whole.'"
We walk outside and place the black jar full of black sin in the dumpster and leave it.
Leave it behind.
We blow out the candles, all but one.
We wait.
love your wooden lent trail. great instruction idea... i think your kids will remember that for a very long time. what a way to make the day meaningful.
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