My Nana was a very sweet, but dingy woman. She had certain Nana-isms that
we found funny, and we all would laugh at them, waiting for the next gem to
come. One afternoon when we around 10, my cousin Steve and I were told “do not
play football in the living room.” A few times. We stopped, but as soon as
Nanawent out with our mothers, we continued. Safe, but not as safe as in these
Nerf ball days, all was well until a pass was thrown, and it hit one of the
statues on her piano. She had two of them, dark skinned, Egyptian women
carrying water buckets over their heads. They had been there as long as we
could remember, at least 10 years, and she often commented on them, they were
the high point sitting on top of the piano. The ball barely hit the left
statue, knocking its head off at the shoulders, causing us to panic. We were in
trouble now, so carefully we placed the head back on the shoulders, a pretty
clean break, with only a little white of the plaster showing. Then we quickly
went out in the back yard and threw the ball, just as they arrived home. We
never said a word, and no one else did for the next 10 years. Many a visit to
Nana’s was made, but no word of the damage to the statue. We carefully avoided
it and any conversation about it, and to our knowledge no one ever knew about
it, and if they did, never said. We had pulled off the perfect crime, but
within our consciences, we would always be afraid of being accused or found
out.
Ten years did pass, Steve went to school, I moved west and on one of our
visits home met at Nana’s house with our parents. Nana was mother to our
mothers. Sitting in the living room, Nana walked around as she listened to her
grandson’s stories, very proud of us. When suddenly, standing by the piano, she
exclaimed, “look, my statue is broken? When did that happen? Who did it?” And
Steve and I started to laugh, and laugh even more. It had taken her 10 years to
notice the broken statue, and we thought it was funny. A new Nana-ism, but no
one else thought so. As my Father continued to yell at me, I kept laughing, as
did Steve. Uncontrollably, like when we were little kids, until we were
exhausted. No one else saw the humor in it. And our secret was still safe, no
one connected the laughter with the crime, nor the criminal. But we finally
confessed to what had happened, took the punishment of “I told you boys,” and
even offered to buy a new one, if one could be found. But all was forgiven, and
to her dying day, the statue remained right where it had intercepted the pass.
Damaged, and the story told to all new comers. The perfect crime never solved,
but yet a confession still exacted from the perpetrators. Our sin had found us
out, something the best criminologists couldn’t do-our parents. And I wonder
where are those statues today?
Our sin had found us out. Numbers 32:23 tells us “but if you do not do so,
take note, then you have sinned against the Lord, and your sin will find you
out.” We never realized that in our disobedience we had not only sinned against
Nana, but against the Lord. And it wasn’t God who was out looking for the
criminals, but it was our sin that caught up to us. Yet many today believe God
is out to get them, that Jesus is carrying a big stick waiting to hit us with
it, but nothing is farther from the truth. Jesus came to save, to forgive, and
to show us the way. And when we abide in him, continue to fellowship with him
in all things, the attitude of Christ will guide our actions. No matter how old
or how lost. Or saved. Jesus is the answer, and he came to set the criminals
free. No crime too big, no crime so small it goes unnoticed. Sin will always
be sin, and it will always get between us and God, causing trouble. MY cousin
and I always knew we would be found out, just not when and how. Even our
laughter couldn’t give us away, it was the spirit working in us, that brought us
to repentance. Our sin exposed, we needed forgiveness, and found it from Nana.
And from God.
There are no perfect crimes, only unsolved ones. And it takes the spirit
to reveal the mysteries of Jesus to us. Without him the Bible makes no sense,
we are still sinners and lost, and just waiting to be caught. Thinking all
others are stupid, and that we get away with it. The statute of limitations on
sin never runs out, fortunately neither does forgiveness. Once you come to
Christ and repent, all sin is forgiven, once and for all. Past, today, and
tomorrow. Just like Jesus, the one who is the forgiveness we need to be
reunited with our Father in heaven. Without Jesus, we will die in sin, God
knows, we only lie to ourselves.
Turn to Jesus today and come clean. The spirit is calling you to repent,
to change your ways and follow him. My crime was only a statue, but no matter
how small or how cruel, be forgiven today. Ask Jesus into your heart. Then
forgive others, including yourself. Maybe the hardest thing to do. Jails are
filled with men who are serving their time, but are free in Christ. God
forgives, the state doesn’t. So find the only forgiveness in him today, know
heaven above is calling. And look forward to the release to a final glory.
Heaven will be filled with sinners, sinners who repented and chose Jesus. Whose
crimes are forgiven, even though God never accuse them. It was sin that found
us out, and without Jesus we would have perished. But in him we are
forgiven....we will stand before the final judge and be found innocent, as if no
sin ever happened. I want an attorney like that, maybe that is why Jesus is
called the wonderful counselor. Perry Mason was good, Jesus is the best.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost. The devil came to hunt down and
destroy. Only one forgives, one accused, the other saves. Change your plea
today to guilty, admit your sin, and give it all to Jesus. Sentence and crime
blotted out forever to a loving God. There are no perfect crimes, yet a perfect
God sent his son, one of perfection to save us. To reunite us to him. To us it
was just a statue, but Nana’s statue. Our sin found us out. To God we are even
more valuable, and his love is seeking to find us out. If your attorney
couldn’t get you life in heaven, turn to the wonderful counselor who can. And
will and has. His office is right in your heart, bring all your sins and
crimes, and leave them with him. No need to carry any guilt any more, Jesus
knows, Jesus forgives, and Jesus saves.
The parable of the statues, and the perfect crime-solved. Only God knew
all the time.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com