Wednesday, August 19, 2009

'Gottcha Covered

On Tuesday I spent all day taking care of my stepmother who is slowly but surely recovering from being real sick. She is able to be out of the bed a lot now but is still not able to do anything but get up and eat or sit in her recliner and read the newspaper or watch TV. So someone stays with her night and day and I have been trying to do my share. I usually do some cooking, some cleaning, and some laundry while I'm there. And some visiting. It's a good time to catch up on that, too. :)

The other day while cooking for her I accidentally let the smallest of her stainless steel pots get too hot and it discolored the bottom on the inside. I was mortified that I had let that happen! I immediately tried scrubbing it with a metal scrub pad but that didn't help. I tried scrubbing it with salt. That didn't help. I could tell the discoloration was there to stay. She's always been careful of her pots and pans and to tell you the honest truth....I was afraid to tell her what had happened! I felt like a child who had been caught doing something wrong. It had been a long time since I'd felt that certain feeling of dread in my stomach!

I know you are gonna think this is awful.....and it is!....but I actually thought about just washing and drying the pot, putting it up and not saying a word to her about it. She never cooks anymore and so might not see it for a long time. But then probably the next person who got it out to cook in would say, "What happened to your pot?" And she would guess. Or know. That I did it! And then she would be mad. Or sad. Or just disappointed that I didn't tell her.

So, I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and took the pan over to her held behind my back. With a tremor in my voice I said, "I did something that is going to upset you." She looked VERY surprised ....but not upset....and said, "What's that?" Then I told her what had happened and that I was so very sorry about it! I held the pan out for her to see. She seemed glad that that was all that was wrong. ha She told me that it was all right and that it wouldn't affect the way it cooked and that was all that mattered. I felt such relief ! I was so glad that I didn't try and hide what I had done even though it was an accident and not done on purpose. That would have gnawed at my heart till I would have been sick. And such a childish idea in the first place! Good grief! I can't believe it even crossed my mind!

Proverbs 28: 13 says "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." That's exactly what happened with my stepmom. Had I covered up the accident, she would have been so disappointed in me when she found out! But when I confessed it she was quick to forgive and have mercy!

The same principle applies with our Heavenly Father. "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

What a blessing we enjoy as Christians to have our sins forgiven and covered by the precious shed blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ! "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." Romans 4: 7

I'm glad He's "got me covered" !

Marilyn

10 comments:

Leah Adams said...

Hmmm, you mean my pots are not supposed to have ugly bottoms????

Yes, confession is good for the soul and it certainly makes life a whole lot easier when we don't have to think about what we did and didn't confess.

My pastor said something a while ago that has stuck with me on this topic.

Whatever we cover, God will uncover, and whatever we uncover, God will cover.

Leah

Marilyn in Mississippi said...

Leah, that was funny. I don't know if my pots are supposed to have ugly bottoms but most of them do! I blame having a gas stove. ha But Mamaw's pots are very old...she had them when she married my Dad in '74....and they still look great! And not because they have not been cooked in either! ha I think that's why it hurt me so bad that it had to be careless ME that came along and left a permanent stain on one of them! Thank God our sin stains are not permanent when He washes them away!

God bless!

Marilyn

Liesa said...

GREAT-GREAT POST MARILYN!!!
WHEN I SAW THE PIC., I JUST HAD TO READ! BLESS YOUR HEART. SEEMS LIKE I DO THINGS LIKE THAT AT MY MOTHERS ALOT. SHE IS VERY METICULUS (PROB. MISSPELLED) AND CAN HAVE THINGS FOR AGES AND IT NEVER LOOKS OLD... AND THEN, I COME ALONG, AND WA-LAH...OLD! I THINK I JUST GET NERVOUS IN HER HOUSE BECAUSE I KNOW THOSE THINGS JUST DON'T HAPPEN WITH HER. IF I'M EVER GOING TO BREAK SOMETHING OR SPILL SOMETHING, GUESS WHERE IT HAPPENS!!! YEP, MY MOTHERS.

BUT, YES, COVERED SINS OR MISHAPS HAUNT US TO DEATH AND STEEL OUR JOY, SO YOU DID THE RIGHT THING!

DEAR FRIEND, YOU ARE A TRUE BLESSING!

HAPPY DAY TO YOU AND YOURS.

LOVE,
LIESA

Peggy said...

Very Good! Glad your step-mother is feeling better. She is blessed to have you for a step-daughter, and I'm sure she appreciates you.
With Love,
Peggy

Yolanda said...

Miss Marilyn,

Seems to me that God has poured a lot of liquid love and GRACE into your precious step-Momma. And that shows forth in you as well, my precious Friend.

Love ya,
Yolanda

Martha said...

that is my favorite Bible verse. Sounds like you have a wonderful step-mother. I am blessed with a wonderful step-father who was good to my mother for 36 years.

Love, martha

Deborah said...

Like Liesa, I saw the picture, and had to see what it was all about! Great post!

mariel said...

thought provoking for sure! I better go check my pots! :)

Em said...

Such a great story, Marilyn! I love the thought about how our stains are not permanent, thanks to JESUS!

Thanks for commenting over on my blog! I just don't want to even imagine a hog butchering! You're a good woman to brave that!

Have a blessed week!

Em

TJ said...

Hi Marilyn, thanks for visiitng my blog. This post is so true. Enjoyed your blog. I'll be back...